Guardian of the Chosen Hero
by Cennaya
Summary: With Demise defeated, his threat of being reborn heavy on Link's mind, he and his closest companion, Tya, try to settle peacefully on the surface. For a year, they were allowed to do so, but Zelda begins to feel something is amiss. This story takes place after the events of Skyward Sword, as explored by Second Hand of the Chosen Hero.
1. Prologue

With great evil vanquished, the clouds above were allowed to separate. Far above, on clear skies, they could see their loftwings, as well as the home they'd spent their lives upon- where some less brave still happily resided.

With the barrier dispersed, visits were often. The loftwings could now pass through, though they preferred the pressures of the clouds, and travel too and from was common and accepted. It had only been a year after all, and not everyone was happy to completely let go of their home.

On the surface, it seemed the new generation had come. The young of Skyloft, excited to see something new, happily took their chances. Trained knights and citizens alike, they united under the sky in an unruly fashion yet eager to learn and create something of their own.

No true leader had been chosen, but when any hardship befell the citizens of their surface civilization, still unnamed, all aside from Groose's declaration, they looked to one person, who looked to three. Zelda was their queen, Goose her consort (or so it was rumored) and Link and Tya, her loyal knights.

Nothing confirmed of course. But that was definitely the set up it seemed when Tya would think it over.

Little homes had been rather poorly built, their small community joining together to figure it all out, taking notes from their parents in the sky as they could give it. They were stable enough though possibly not the best looking things. Groose had jumped at the option to help Zelda after she decided living in the temple wasn't comfortable, and though she was happy to do it on her own, it was clear enough that she was pleased to have him by her side. She'd always expressed to Tya that she adored his confidence as well as his strength and his humor, but the deal breaker came with his possessiveness and the fact that he wouldn't ever get over the notion of her having friends. So now that he and Link had come to terms with each other, apologizing and behaving amicably, and Groose had accepted that he could show her his love with no expectation of it being requited, she was swooning.

Which he didn't seem to notice, or if he did, it was much in the same manner Tya behaved toward Link: doubtful that it was true in the way they hoped. With Groose and Zelda however, the longing was far clearer from his end than from either with Link and Tya, and that wasn't necessarily bad. Neither seemed to be distressed with their current relationship, though Tya did occasionally wonder about it, and Link's intentions, but there was a level of comfort that kept her from actively worrying about it.

There had been times where they had looked at each other, and the thought of romantic gestures came about, but neither acted on it, and once those moments passed, they were happy to continue as they were, dancing a thin line between platonic and romantic. All gestures were friendly, some breaching the territory into 'only close friends or lovers would do this', and both of them were fine with this. In short, there was no frustration or yearning, only closeness and affection that they felt they didn't _need_ to know the meaning of. However there was also an obscene lack of communication about it.

They had built their home together. At first they instinctively decided to build separate ones, but… Even the bravest, most courageous knight still held fear. In a storybook manner the evil had been vanquished, but that living in Link's mind had not. That was something no story ever expressed. There was a mental toll that only time could mend. He found himself in her bed nightly, clinging close to her since it was one of the few comforts he could find when plagued by such horrid dreams. So they abandoned the thought of living separately, and elected to just stay together as they'd been doing for so long anyway.

Tya had grown accustomed to the things that would set him off- and he had to hers, though her own were far fewer. Some were shared, such as the fear that would immediately arise at loud noises- primarily at doors slamming. The one that needed to be cared for the most was one of Link's particular, with people silently coming up behind him. It was something he couldn't, under any circumstance, handle, and everyone in their small village seemed to have found it out the hard way.

All in all, the time that had passed had allowed the dust to settle semi-peacefully with the only threat being the memories of true danger. Now, they had the opportunity of starting a new life in a new world.


	2. Chapter 1

A beautiful melody rode a breeze as it brushed passed. Lithe fingers plucked thin chords, and harmonized perfectly with them in her ethereal voice: " _O' hero, valiant hero of the heavens_ …"

Zelda sat peacefully, legs together and ankles crossed, and the harp propped appropriately in her arm. Morning light warmed her, the new season's pollen marking the light carefully, making the rays a work of art, much like Zelda herself. Before her towered the Statue of the Goddess, which she sung to often. Though she had discovered her own soul to be that of the goddess herself, she expressed often that she didn't _feel_ like Hylia. Perhaps it was the fact that, as Link had told them, his information from Demise himself, Hylia had demoted herself from Goddess to Mortal. But Zelda often found herself referring to Hylia as a separate entity entirely. As a higher being than herself. She wondered often if perhaps her body was only _shared_ with Hylia. They weren't the same, rather Zelda was Zelda, and Hylia was Hylia, guiding her through what needed to be done almost as if she were only a host. This was why she sat at the goddess statue. She prayed to the goddess still, and offered thanks to her at this statue, because she was merely a body for the Goddess to use, in her mind.

This morning however was just a bit different than others. Generally she sat alone, but today Tya had accompanied. The difference in the two was clear just by the manner in which they sat side by side. Zelda, with her dress draped gracefully over her legs which were crossed so regally, and her back straightened, chin raised- picturesque and confident. And then Tya, with her knees together, and feet spread to keep them so. Her arms were straightened, shoulders raised as her hands set on her knees and she leaned forward, pressing into them.

Something about it amused her, really. She knew Zelda felt herself separate from the Goddess, but the fact that she was such a higher power than Tya was just a dynamic she never thought she'd find herself in. She assumed that being the antisocial girl the popular one generally spoke to was going to be the extent of it, but now here she sat, a mortal in the presence of the woman that either was, or that harbored the soul of the entity their very race was named after. That fact was so wildly unrealistic and strange that it's truth put a half-cocked smile on Tya's face as she listened to Zelda's song, her eyes on the statue rather than her friend.

This morning's seemed to be about Link. They were always songs Zelda made, whether she wrote them herself or just let herself sing and they happened to fall out, Tya didn't know, but she could tell that it was regarding Link. The talk of a valiant hero from the sky, the thanks toward his bravery, the notion of his sword and shield brandished against evil that threatened the land. Really, it was flattering, and she thought that he would have appreciated hearing it, even more so as it ended, and the lyrics began to say _To the Goddess I sing, in hopes she will heal your riven soul_.

Tya's outstretched arms buckled briefly, her body portraying a moment of relief toward the sung prayer. Her hands drew up to set against her chest, her eyes closed, and inside she wished for just the same for him.

The harp lowered as her song came to its end, and securing it in her lap, Zelda looked to Tya with a soft smile. Even with what looked to be contentment, something behind it suggested something was troubling her. "Thank you for coming with," she said, earning a similar expression as Tya straightened once more and dismissed that thanks.

"It is, of course, my pleasure," she replied, brightening the expression her friend held. As Zelda rose from her seat, Tya waited for her to step aside so she could avoid hitting her or being too close so she could join her. As she waited for her to situate herself; to smooth out her dress and her hair, and hold the harp in both arms against her chest, she asked "Do you always sing about others when you come here?"

"Oh I do," she nodded. "For Link, for Impa, for Hylia, for Groose. All of us."

The mention of Impa made Tya's small smile turn somewhat solemn, recalling the last time they had seen her. When all was said and done, it seemed the old woman was finally able to rest after what Tya could only guess had been _centuries_ of what she was doing. It was sad, but it was probably better for her.

Finally standing, the two began off down a dirt path to the open doors of the temple. It was a common enough scene nowadays. Every door of the temple was open, the interior had been cleaned, and benches had been brought in. It really acted as the center building of the settlement- everyone would convene to honor Hylia at times, and some, to discuss things that should be done throughout.

But from here, it was really the only way out to the village again, so they proceeded through, waving to some of those who had elected to care for the temple that morning. It was nice that there didn't seem to be any separation, nor anyone especially _horrible_ down here. Possibly as time passed and the place became larger, but as it was, everyone that had come to the surface knew each other. Even those with ill feelings toward each other didn't do anything detrimental to the community itself. Some of the knights had come down to live, and they really hadn't even had anything to occupy themselves with, which demoted them more so to hunters that would bring in food. Link was among them, seen more or less as the command of them though again, wasn't needed.

He didn't much like that fact either… He didn't want to be in command of anything anymore- he wanted to be able to relax but people looked to him for guidance, and if he could offer it, he would.

"I did actually ask you to come with for a reason though," Zelda admitted as they emerged onto the path that would take them down to the unorganized little band of homes and huts they had built. In the center sat a large wooden table beneath an awning, and to the side of it was a single kiosk-like stall which belonged to Beedle. There weren't exactly shops, since no one really wanted or needed to pay for anything. It was something like a big melting pot with food- the soldiers would return with food, the people that had begun to grow crops would give in their harvests, and anyone with the ability to cook would start to do so, which worked out well because really, their community consisted of, at most, twenty people. But Beedle would come to and from to trade goods from the sky for goods from the surface every few days.

"Oh?" Tya replied curiously, mind only half on Zelda for a moment or two as she admired what they had built. They did try to avoid disrupting the land as much as possible, taking only what they needed and thanking Farore for it when they had to. They had cleared out a plot of land near the temple, taking down a few trees and using those to erect their homes.

"I…" Zelda started, eyes narrowing as she licked her lips in thought. "I had a dream about something and I was wondering if perhaps you and Link would be willing to accompany me to go and see what it was, exactly."

Tya breathed in at that, nodding softly more so to say she should have guessed there would be some sort of catch. Not that Zelda was the kind of person that only asked her such things when she needed something, it was more so that it was odd of her to request her presence with the prayers she did. "What was your dream?"

"It was just.. Of a place," Zelda explained vaguely, voice somewhat strained as if she was trying to recall any fine details. "I drew out a map of it when I woke up, and where Hylia- Where _I_ remember it being."

Tya shifted a bit in her stance, taking a wider step so she could put herself at an angle she could better see Zelda. "Just a place?"

"Well, yes," She answered once more. "I just don't know why it was significant in my memories to come to me last night, so I'd like to know. And going alone is hardly a good idea, since my number one ability as Goddess is being a damsel in distress."

"Perhaps you should look into learning how to defend yourself," Tya said, earning a small nod from Zelda that said that was a pretty fair suggestion.

"I should, but for the moment, I want to see what about that place is significant. Would you be willing to accompany me?"

"Of course," she agreed with little thought, waving to say it was without question. "I'll ask Link if he'd be up for coming along, but I'm sure whatever it is, you and I can handle alone."


	3. Chapter 2

Though Zelda's initial request had reason behind it, she had no intention of letting Tya just _leave_ after asking it. No, there were beautiful places there in those forests to roam, and the pair went on a pleasant walk through it. With Ghirahim defeated, his bokoblin minions had been driven out, so the woods were a much safer place to roam. Natural enemies still remained, but they left well enough alone so long as you didn't step directly into their territory. To wander happily through the trees, her arm locked with Zelda's, was so incredibly calming.

The memory of her dream, while still lingering in the back of her mind for sure, soon took a backseat to friendly chatter of what they'd done the few days before. From Zelda's assistance in the possible joining of two of their citizens; in a possible marriage, off to talk of what her own suitor had done as of late: his endearing adoration for the small birds of the surface. She'd found him talking to a small cluster, and each watching him intently as he proceeded to put together some furniture from some of the remaining lumber they had.

After, she asked her about Link, for similar stories of his recent escapades, which involved her stuttering companion dragging her up to Skyloft for a trip over to a particular spot he just adored. He referred to it as a "remlit hangout" and once they got there, she had to admit, the title was fitting.

The conversation was lighthearted and much appreciated. Things weren't stressful, but peace and happiness were never something she would take for granted, not after being pressed in the ways she had been, both due to the environment they'd been in as well as the state of her own mind. At the time, she had only realized a small portion of just how worn her and Link had become, being so focused on the mission and the path ahead. But after it was over, and they could wake up the next morning without purpose, fear of failure, fear of consequence, fear of death, and they could lie in her bed and smile at each other with real relief as opposed to strained, frayed threads of optimism they were both desperately grasping for, it all sunk in.

And the past year had brought back feeling she didn't realize she had lost, and appreciate for the things she realized she could have been forever without, Zelda being the top of that list.

As they circled back to the settlement, the two split off from each other with a one armed embrace that still drew in quite close. It was moments like that that Tya was reminded of her friend's appreciation because at some point during their journey, she began to view her as a goal to achieve more so than a friend in need. And it didn't much help with the revelation that Link, and thus herself, had been tools for her to use. To feel her closeness and hear her conversation of menial things like a _boy_ was a reminder that Zelda was a person, not a goal, nor an unreachable higher power to be bowed to and honored.

They went their own ways, Zelda to prepare for the upcoming travel, and Tya to find Link.

He had been included into the guard, his swordsmanship greatly honored by all the soldiers that had joined them. They were all in awe of the way he had honed a blade, but he had admitted that a normal one would never have the same feeling as the sword he'd carried whilst adventuring on the surface. And how much of the reason they had for that, Tya didn't know.

Regardless, when not about with the small cluster of guards, he was often found at home, reveling in the silence as he worked away at hobbies Tya had absently overlooked during their time. She had no idea he enjoyed whittling, or even basic doodling on occasion. And she was more than pleased to find that they both shared an adoration for books.

On this particular occasion, he was sitting on one of three pieces of furniture in their little shack of a home- their bed, with a book that had fallen page down on his chest as he dozed off.

She softened, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she moved inward. She made her steps soft, not wanting to startle him awake with any loud noise, and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. It was possibly the nicest piece of furniture they had, because it was the only thing brought from Skyloft. With Fi sealed up, getting scrapper to do things for Link was difficult, and her connection to him made him reluctant to assist. So it had to take some coaxing from both her and Gondo, but they managed, and she hoped that as they expanded their home she'd be able to talk him in to bringing down more things, such as a bookshelf for the hoard of literature propped on a desk Groose had made for them.

Her hands slid slowly across the soft red blankets Link hadn't even bothered to crawl beneath as he read. She tried to put less weight on the bed, or at least distribute it in a way that wasn't disruptive as she took a seat at his side and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "Link," she said, her voice calm and devoid of any urgency. When he didn't respond, she quieted.

Sleep was one of the things that had become difficult to him, because he often had dreams of things that could have been different, as well as the possibilities of things both Demise and Ghirahim had said to him. So now that he had found it, seemingly peacefully, she couldn't bring herself to actually wake him.

Instead, she lowered to softly rest at his side, her head on his shoulder, which he seemed to subconsciously notice as he readjusted to rest his on hers. She slipped the book from his hands, folding over the corner of the page and slipping it under her pillow. After, she moved closer, and he invited her in, in a state so tired, he wouldn't even remember it when he was actually awake.

She didn't really fall asleep with him there. It was more or less suspended in that odd between state of awake and asleep, where it was difficult to tell if anything happening was dream or reality. But it as beneficial because soon enough, her companion stirred, taking in a deep, tired breath just before yawning and pulling himself upright.

His movements jostled her from her position against his shoulder, so she was forced to readjust as well, her arm raising so the back of her hand could set absently to her eyes.

"When did you ge-get home?" he questioned sleepily, to which she raised to look out the gap in the wall that acted as a window at this angle, she was unable to tell the time.

"I have no idea," she answered, chuckling a bit. "I came back after a walk with Zel, and you were asleep."

He nodded just before his head fell lazily against the headboard with a rather resounding thud. His lack of reaction said it didn't hurt, and she was surprised by that.

"Did you sleep well?" she glanced to the wood behind his head. Maybe he hadn't even fallen asleep initially, maybe he had just done that and knocked himself out. A good method, she guessed. He definitely seemed peaceful.

"It was actual-actual sleep so." he answered, watching her gaze as he smiled, knowing precisely what she was thinking and that she has likely being much too dramatic. The wood was hollow and thin, and not even pressed to the wall, meaning that any sound against it was kind of loud.

"That's good," she finally put her attention on him, noting the knowing expression, and letting her own melt to amusement. "I was beginning to think you had just accidentally knocked yourself unconscious."

"Good method," he commented, to which she chuckled, mostly because it had been her own thought as well.

Sitting straighter, she stretched her arms out in front of her then asked "have you eaten?"

"No, I woke up and-and st-started reading." it occurred to him after that, that his book was nowhere in his immediate vicinity, so Tya pulled it out from the spot beneath her pillow, where she'd set it because her side of the bed didn't have a night table to put it on. She would have had to plop it on the floor which would have been loud, or slowly set it there, which was just a lot more work than the choice she made.

"You?"

"No."

He opened it up to the marked page, scanning a bit of the text to try and remember where he had left off before. After getting a bit of an idea, he closed it again and set it on his side, which did have a shoddy little table that he had built. It was stable and engraved with little bird designs on the legs.

"I'm go-gonna guess that mean-means you want to go get food?"

"Likely for the best, lest we waste away here in our humble abode." two fingers gestured out to their surroundings, and he glanced around as if he had forgotten.

Without a word, he sat up and kicked his boots over to himself so he could slip them on, then stood and looked to her with impatient eyes.

She slid off the bed and stretched out her arms once more before moving to the door which she had left ajar without a thought before. It wasn't new or unusual. During the day, many of the residents did it.

"So what did-what did you two talk an-about?"

"I told her of your other group of friends. The cuter ones," she motioned upward, and as he caught on he frowned dramatically.

"My friends," he echoed sadly. "She'll run-run them off."

"Oh yes, we know how she is cruel to animals often."

"No, she'll talk- she'll talk their ears off, and b-boss them ar-around."

To that she chuckled, waving for him to hush.

They took a seat at the table, on which a meager little feast had been made up in the time they slept. A stack of plates sat ready for use in the middle, something they had to start doing instead of setting the table because someone, now the bus boy as punishment, had been leaving their dirty plates in spots, which others almost used without noticing.

...They weren't the most observant bunch of people.

She sat next to him, pulling out a plate and plopping a goopy mix of cooked veggies onto it. It wasn't exactly appetizing, but their untrained chef never really looked for ways to make it pretty, especially when cooking a big pot for everyone to dip into. Something about the meals she had always felt was missing was a helping of bread, and it was a real shame. To get pastries and anything of the sort, she had to get back up to Skyloft, or request Beedle bring her some back on his trips down. Really, she had considered making up a bakery down here, but getting homes situated was first and foremost. The majority of them didn't have kitchens or toilets as it was, and they had built up a bathhouse for everyone's use instead of putting them into each home. There was a lot to learn still about functional plumbing, and even more to learn about functional lighting.

"We also discussed something else," Tya got his attention as he began to get a helping of his own, of the veggies as well as a bit of meat, which he cut in half and plopped a bit of onto her plate.

"What was it?" he asked, nudging it toward her as he knew she'd be reluctant to eat it. She always was- her soft spot for animals got in the way of that, but really, she was reluctant to eat anything that wasn't the pastries she so desired.

"She wondered if we would be willing to escort her somewhere."

"Where?"

As she opened her mouth to give that answer, the bench just across from them was made to creak under the weight of a mass of muscle that had only grown since he had been helping build up the settlement's shelters and furniture.

"Helloooo," Groose sang, flashing the two a smile as he reached for a helping of meat he hadn't even bothered to put on a plate, just directly into his mouth. It was a godsend that he was at least hygienic, not chewing with his mouth open or anything like that.

The two greeted in unison, with softer happiness rather than excitement.

He swallowed his bite just in time to ask "You two talking about that thing Zel dreamt about?"

"Starting to, yes," Tya took a spoon to poke at her vegetables with mild displeasure. A nudge of Link's elbow got a little derisive whine out of her before she took a small spoonful.

"So it was a dr-dream?" Link asked between the three of them.

"Mhm," he hummed politely as his mouth was full of another piece, this one torn off from a larger one that he likely wouldn't have been able to comfortably eat whole to begin with. "It was some sorta big ol' place. She said it was all green, and there were statues all around. First she saw 'em new but when she saw them again they were overrun with all sorts of plants and vines."

That was new information that hadn't been shared at first, mostly due to the fact that it seemed Zelda could barely remember much of the dream anymore. Tya was curious to know more on it, but before she could voice this, Groose softened a little.

"Gave her a real bad feeling this morning…"

Her questions became louder in her mind, but now she didn't think asking would be a good idea. Prying on something bothersome was rude after all, and having grown attached to this oaf, she didn't want him distressed.

Perking up again with a heavy inhale, he asked "so're you guys gonna come with?"

"You're going as well?" Tya tilted her head.

Looking at her as if the answer was clear, Groose said "Well yeah, I ain't about to let her go out there alone."

"Nor was I, but I was hoping you would stay behind with Link if he-"

"You tho-thought I _wasn't_ going to come?" he interrupted, giving her a look of mild disbelief.

"I wasn't sure if you would want to or not. I was leaving the option open."

"Not even a question," Link almost sounded offended. "Why would- why would I let- let either of- either of you go out alone when-when there's-"

"When there's still plenty of danger to be faced," she finished, setting her hand on his arm and leaning against him. He calmed though only by a little. "Not all of it is your responsibility. I'm sure we are more than capable of handling ourselves."

"I'm not- I'm not saying you aren't…"

"I know you aren't. I'm only trying to tell you that you are under no obligation to come along if you don't want to. If you want to stay here and relax, possibly finish up that little kikwi statue you've been working on, you can."

He looked back down to his food, one hand holding a utensil that poked absently at it now much like she had been doing moments before. "I don't think I would relaxing."

She raised off him, nudging him as he had her when she began to prod at her food, at which he responded by grimacing and whining as she had, then took a bite. She picked up her spoon once again to do the same. "That's understandable," she said between one rabbit-sized bite and the next.

"She was hoping to leave tonight," Groose added, looking between them. "Told her that wasn't a good idea, and we should just go in the morning, and she agreed."

"Why did she want to leave tonight instead? She's not one to usually think so impractically."

"I think she didn't want to have that dream again," Groose admitted a bit more softly, leaning so only the two of them could hear.

At that, Link lowered his spoon onto his plate and pursed his lips, looking at his hands as they drew off the table. He didn't look up at her, only in her direction, once he felt her eyes on him, in a fluid motion, he pressed his first two fingers to his chest before his hands fell to his lap.

Tya slumped a bit as she noticed this, then the way his hands began to pick at one another.

She looked up at Groose with the intention of requesting he take care of the food for them, but it seemed he had the idea already in his head as he motioned for her to go ahead. She slipped off the bench, and once Link saw her starting to move, he followed in near shame.

Nothing was said as she led him back to the house, pulling closed the door behind them and keeping her attention on him as he sat back on the bed with his head in his hands.

She moved forward, kneeling in front of him with her hands on either of his arms. It took a moment for him to be able to pull his hands away. He pulled away from her touch, letting one hand grab one of hers before she could retract them both.

"You're thinking it'll happen again?" she questioned knowingly. He didn't respond because he knew she knew the answer. "It won't."

"He said he would- he'd be back."

"Its only been a year." she answered. "He said reborn, and an infant can't possibly cause us that much harm."

"And what if its-" he stopped himself, glancing up as the mere thought of his name reminded him of those threats that had been made. Ghirahim never followed through with them, but he knew they weren't empty, and now Link didn't have Fi to help fight him off.

"Then he will be in the form of a sword, unable to hurt you without someone wielding him. And together, we will take anyone that dares."

He quieted, deep blue eyes on her, watching for any trace of insincerity. There was none to be found.

He pulled her hand to get her to stand, and once she did, he pulled her forward again. Releasing, his hands moved around her waist, and as she lowered to sit in his lap, his head rested against her chest.

"I have made this vow to you before, and it still stands. I will not let anything happen to you. Nor Zelda, nor Groose."

"You don't have th-that kind of- of power, Tya."

"Don't think so lowly of me," she retorted with feigned offense, leaning to catch his view. "Our Zelda is the incarnation of Hylia, sure, but I am the incarnation if Din."

"You are _not_." Link smirked, drawing out of the touch she had placed on his chin to direct his gaze upward.

"You dare disobey me, the Goddess of Power?" she drew back, her chin raised in some sense of smugness.

"That wasn't even- wasn't disobeying!"

Faltering in her regal demeanor, she waved a hand. "Sure it was."

"Goddess Din ch-changes-change-" he paused, laughing a little at both this joke and his inability to get out his words. Slower, with a hand raised as if pressing wiping something off his lips, he continued with "Goddess Din switches meanings of words. I'm-I'm pretty su-sure this is blasphemy."

"Then I do hope she has a sense of humor." she mused, getting him to roll his eyes and lean back to make distance between them again. Even so, he kept his arms settled loosely around her waist. "Do you feel more secure?"

"A little," he nodded, his amusement fading. "I think I'll-I'll only feel be-better when we go out there."

"Its likely." he agreed. "If there's more I may do to help, you know you can tell me, and I will."

This offer had been extended to him a million times, and he knew it well. He accepted it, leaning to rest once more on her chest as he hugged her for just a moment longer.


	4. Chapter 3

Despite his moment of weakness behind closed doors, once they met the following morning, he seemed much more like himself. It had come to a point when she could tell what was a front and what wasn't, and Tya was pleased to see that this wasn't, at least to an extent. She could see the nervous tics that still accompanied what looked to be genuine excitement. Afraid or not of what they'd find when they arrived, the journey was still exciting, even more so because Zelda and Groose would be along with them.

The night prior they'd both been kept awake by anticipation, good and bad, of what they'd find. Link was worried they'd find Ghirahim or possibly some aspect of Demise rising again, and so on, but as they talked through it once again it became significantly more lighthearted.

"And if we arrive and the place is littered with kikwi statues?" She had questioned, breaking an unexpected laugh out of him

"Why would- why would it be littered with kikwi stat-statues?"

She motioned toward the plump little carving, half finished, on their desk that he had been working on for some time. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Raising on his elbows to look at the figure he'd begun, he just chuckled once more before flopping back to look at her. "They're pretty cute."

"Exactly," she tapped his chest as he got comfortable again. As he did, she rolled to rest partly on his chest, her side pressed into his and her arm bent so she could rest her chin on it and look at him. "I would personally build a kikwi temple."

"Th-Thin-Think they'd be flattered?"

"Who's to say. We may need their permission, lest we get sued."

It wasn't immediate to ease his stress like that, but soon enough, after a bit of idle banter, he was able to drift off to sleep. She figured it was probably a light one because after she managed as well, she wasn't stirred by any of his usual restless shifting and twitching, and when morning came, he actually seemed to be less tired.

The small group convened on the end of the settlement opposite of the temple per Zel's request. The morning light was soft, it's edges blurred by mist and pollen. Groose's little friends hung overhead and in trees, singing their morning songs as they started off their own little birdy days.

Meanwhile Zelda held out a piece of folded paper, letting the stiff edges fall out so it could unveil itself to her, and held it up to show them like this was an elementary school show-and-tell. Which really, by definition, wasn't far off. "Here is the map I drew," she said, her mouth hidden behind the paper as she looked to each of the three faces leaning in to examine it.

"Seems to still be in these woods?" Tya asked. There were crude drawings of mountains on the edges that the path didn't pass through as well as a large blob she wasn't sure what to make of.

Fortunately, she didn't seem to be the only one with trouble with it as Groose spoke up, pointing out to the misshapen circle. "'S that that big lake?"

To both of them, Zelda nodded.

"If that's Lake Flo-Lake Floria, it isn't skyview tem-temple we're going to," Link pointed upward to a part of the map not drawn. "That would be-be over he-here."

"Somewhere we've never seen then," Tya hummed, a smile on her face as she straightened and looked to the other two. They may not have had much interest, she wasn't sure, but she certainly did. After seeing those wonderful places, she'd only grown more interested in learning the history of the surface in the absence of their kind. She wanted to know why the majority of these places were built, by whom, and how long ago it had happened. But those were all things she didn't even know how to begin to uncover, so she would settle for admiring the ruins of their passed civilization and picking up the pieces of puzzles she'd never finish.

"Starting point is- is the village?" Link let his hand drop, looking to Zelda for confirmation which she gave. After, she lowered the map but didn't start to fold it back, understanding that it was likely that they'd need it to keep track. Whatever path she'd made, she assumed wouldn't be marked by anything but her own faint memory of it.

"So this way then." She stated after a moment of thinking on their position. She pointed out to it, hesitating a step before starting forward with more sureness, muttering 'yes', under her breath to cement it to herself as well. With her taking off, the trio behind her followed.

As they put distance between them and the settlement, Tya looked to Link as he set his hand on the hilt of his blade. It was easier to do so in this case, as the generic blade had been strapped to his belt rather than across his back as he'd carried the Mastersword. It seemed like a small, trivial change, but he prefered it because it was easier to draw this way than smacking himself in the back of the head with it while he hastily tried to get it out. He hadn't done it with Fi, at least not that Tya had ever noticed, but he admitted to nearly knocking his hat off on multiple occasions as well as fearing that he'd cut himself if he didn't pay attention. Of course this way ran that risk as well, cutting the opposite arm where his shield was attached, but he was doing his best. Besides, this time around he was more armored than he had been with his chainmail before. The green tunic for his graduating class sat at home now, more of an ornamental piece of remembrance than actually something to be used and worn.

Gondo had figured the surface was a lot more dangerous than Skyloft, and had taken it upon himself to make some actual armor for the guards that chose to go down. It was really only breastplates that he had managed due to lack of supplies, and that was something they still needed to tend to. At some point, they needed to make a trek out to the volcano- in the recesses of her memory of it, she could recall seeing the slick, shiny rock that Gondo had described to be iron, and figured there must be some good veins of it in Eldin. But that would be an adventure they needed to really prepare for with the heat of it.

Due to what supplies they did have, they had mismatched bits of armor, and because Link was viewed as their commander, he had been given what was more a full set than anyone else's. Gauntlets, a breastplate, a gorget, and some plated tassets. It was heavier than what he was used to, but it was at the very least not bulky and in the way. He'd grown used to wearing it.

For herself though, Tya was left to wear the armor she'd had initially. Due to not wearing it in Lake Floria, the leather could have been salvaged so long as it was properly cared for, something which, after she brought it back up to Skyloft, the Knight's Academy was able to teach her to do to keep it from completely hardening and misshaping. The chainmail, to her surprise, was also salvaged as she didn't give it the chance to rust before getting to dry and oil it. The newest development for her was the weight that hung from her side as well, at Link's request. She wasn't at all knowledgeable on using a blade, even with Link having taught her a few basic moves the night before, but just as she'd guessed before, it would be nice to have something to swing around if anything got too close to them.

The same treatment had been given to both Zelda and Groose too. It was easier to acquire the weaponry from the armory up in the Knight's Academy now that the surface was uncovered, because they also understood that it was dangerous to wander without some protection down there. They had the guards equipped as well as a small stash which Tya was sure they probably exhausted by taking these weapons. No threats were that imminent to the settlement though that they may need them… Or, so she hoped.

Still, she was glad that they were able to defend themselves with something, even if only two of them were armored. Groose hadn't even really made an effort to change anything about what he wore, still in a collared, buttoned shirt that stuck close to his muscular chest as well as some neutral colored pants and dark boots. He had abandoned a few of the unneeded accessories, though.

Zelda on the other hand, Tya was surprised to see she even owned a pair of pants. She'd never seen her in any, even when they lived in Skyloft. But dresses were impractical for travel, as were sandals, so she was glad to see her friend had at the very least put on a pair of boots.

Appearances of everyone aside, she straightened, moving up to Zelda's side to take a look at the map over her shoulder, then to the surroundings they were currently passing. There wasn't anything much to look at, especially here as it wasn't that much a ways outside of the settlement. It was all stuff she'd seen, usually embarking on her small adventures to collect some new 'specimens' of plant for Owlan, so she was left to puff out her cheeks.

The puff as well as the exasperated release of air that came after drew Zelda's attention up off the map. She smiled, watching Tya for a minute before saying "I'm sorry, is this boring?"

"You're not even talking," Tya pouted. Zelda took one last look at the map before lowering it and arching a brow at her.

"Well I was trying to pay attention to where we were going, but if you want to get lost, I'll entertain you."

"As you should," she declared, raising her chin smugly before that demeanor broke into a laugh from either side. That was short lived, and as it calmed, Tya breathed in and motioned to the map again. "So what else do you recall from the dream? Groose said it gave you a bad feeling." As she asked this question, she looked back at Link on instinct. He was brought a step forward with curiosity as he listened to the question, also interested to know more information on it.

Sighing heavily, Zelda said "It really did. I don't know why, nothing seemed bad in the dream, not from what I can remember anyway. I really can't even recall anything at this point, but Hylia knows the place. I can see it in my memory, and I can see Link and some others that were there. I can't tell the purpose of it, but maybe I'll know when we get there."

That thought excited Tya; she wondered if more memory could be triggered to tell her about whatever place they were heading, but she felt voicing that excitement was a bit insensitive. If it had concerned her, was it right to be enthused about going there?

"Do you know who else was there?" Tya questioned instead, hands clasping and resting over her stomach.

"Link's associates." She answered confidently, only to find herself confused after. Her brow furrowed and she thought over that answer before straightening and looking back to Tya, then to Link and Groose.

"You had associates," Tya repeated, an impressed nod from both her and Link.

"Fancy," he stated.

After some amused agreement toward that, Tya looked back to Zel too. "I'm curious to know what you mean by associates, though. Do you know?"

The formation of that question made her look to Tya with her eyes narrowed. Something about it seemed offensive, but she dismissed that in favor of confusion. "They worked closely with him, helping him out with his own tasks after…" With that she trailed off, shoulders slumping slightly as she looked back to him. After a long moment, she swallowed and turned her attention down to the map again. "After something. I don't remember what."

That response, while possibly holding truth, seemed so abrupt, Tya was forced to give her friend a questioning glance. Brow furrowed curiously at her, but Zelda kept herself from looking up, only took note of where they may be on her map.

"We should be there within a few hours," she said, effectively deterring the subject from what it had been. "I brought things to camp though, since I didn't think we would be able to make it there and back in a day. Is that alright?"

"Fine with me," Groose answered first. Tya glanced to him, then Link. A small nod of her head was all she gave before falling back to walk alongside her companion. Though she wanted to question his sudden absence from the conversation as well as the troubled look he held, she didn't. Now wasn't the time.

Though Groose and Zelda were both trusted friends, she had noticed that he always snuck away in times of distress. Really, the only reason she had ever been told anything was likely because she followed after him. Sometimes it wasn't the best course of action- sometimes he snapped at her, wanting to be alone, but sometimes, like the day before, he would cling to her comfort. She understood both sides. Though the first time he had snapped at her, it resulted in possibly the worst fight they had had wherein Link raised his voice in a manner she had never heard before, nor had she since, and she retorted by childishly vanishing into the moonlit forest, which, soon enough, was illuminated further by her anger as she let sparks fly some ways from the settlement.

When she returned, he apologized for his anger, as did she for her overbearing behavior, but rather than leaving it at that, they worked out something that would benefit them both in the future.

In the moment of panic, expressing such sentiments as "I need you to help me" was difficult, even more so with Link. Speaking was something he had found difficult throughout his childhood, and only in recent years had he begun to actually speak due to his stutter. So when he was distressed to a point, it was difficult for him to find the words he wanted.

Two fingers pressed to her chest, the rest curled in like a fist, and she drew them outward just a bit before her hands dropped to her side.

Link watched her for a moment, biting his lower lip before shaking his head as an answer to a question only they knew had been asked.

With that, she softened, offering him a smile that he did his best to return. To say no to that gesture meant he didn't need help, but she could still tell something was on his mind. Given their previous conversation, she figured it was safe enough to guess that it was over what they may find in the ruins that had brought about the 'bad feeling' Zelda had.

Their walk, while peaceful, became stale after a while. If that wasn't enough, there was a tense air about them, likely due to both Zelda and Link's impatience and discomfort. She couldn't blame them for it, but that didn't mean that after walking in silence with nothing to look at was fun.

She began to think of a way to talk to them, perhaps lighten the mood and draw their minds off their stress. Really, she was surprised that Groose had managed to stay quiet for so long. Possibly the only time she ever actively welcomed his over excited yelling, and there he wasn't actually going to do it.

There was plenty to see around them, but nothing that would make actual conversation, especially from someone as ungodly inept at it as she was. The flowers were the only thing around that really caught her interest and held it. They were in bloom, and petals were mixed in the wind. It was a beautiful sight to see, but not much to say regarding it, though it did bring something to mind- something stupid that often slipped her mind until it was mentioned.

"Does the air smell nice with all the flowers?"

The small group looked back at her, the randomness of her question seeming to both intrigue and amuse them though all in different ways. She wasn't sure Groose ever knew that she had an awful sense of smell, if even one at all, so she understood his confusion. Whether Zelda even remembered that fact or not, she wasn't sure, but she knew Link knew of it, and he was more or less caught off guard by how suddenly the question came.

"It smells like nature," Zelda answered before the other two could.

Link nodded in agreement, swaying a little before adding with uncertainty "It's kind of sweet, too?"

Confirming her beliefs on it, Groose leaned to look at her, one brow arched. "You can't tell?"

She shook her head, lips pursed to signify shame.

"It's got to put a damper on eating, not being able to smell the food." Zelda remarked, half paying attention as she kept her eyes on the map.

"Not that she's missin' a whole lot with Kina cooking," Groose said, causing Zelda to chuckle, though ashamedly.

"Oh be nice," she tried to scold, the amusement in her voice making it difficult. "Her food tastes fine, it just doesn't look good."

"Yeah, yeah, she's serving everyone in town, gotta be nicer," Groose dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"If you don't like it you try to do better," Zel's back straightened, her head tilting smugly as she glanced back in his direction.

That challenge got Groose to pause in his steps, a look of dim-witted blank surprise on his face just before he waved a little more vigorously. "Uh, nah, no need for that, she does just fine-"

With his sudden change in opinion, Zelda elected to tease him further, lips forming a pout as she slowed to walk more at his side than in front of their group. "Aw, that's disappointing. I was hoping you'd offer to make me dinner."

The look he held became just a tad dumber with his astonishment then as he stared down at her, his cheeks tinted red.

After a moment he stopped his stunned staring and hurried to stutter out "I-If that's what you want, then I'll make you the best damn meal you ever had when we get back. Steal Kina's kitchen 'n everything."

Her previous amused grin faded down, becoming half cocked and sly. "I will hold you to that, Big Guy."

Though she couldn't help but inwardly cringe at that nickname, Tya still smiled at their behavior. The relationship between the two of them was interesting, with both of them sharing similar feelings toward one another, yet refraining from acting upon them for no reason that she could really even tell. Zelda had said before that she was waiting patiently for Groose to make the first move again, and it was more than clear she was enjoying teasing him in the time he wasn't getting that hint. But she wasn't being subtle, which left Tya to wonder why Groose hadn't done anything exactly. As stated before, it really did seem as if he doubted all the things she had said. She wondered if he felt it was a cruel game in which the target of his affection feigned interest to lead him on…

Interest or not, now wasn't the time to pry on that. Perhaps later, toward only Groose or only Zelda, but for the moment, her attention was drawn to the beginnings of a structure.

The sides of the path were littered with rubble that would be easy to overlook if it hadn't been for her curiosity. She wasn't the only one that noticed as the flirtatious conversation died out and Zelda shuffled ahead a few steps, map drawn out in front of her again. She looked it over one last time but folded it and stuffed it away into the satchel she'd brought along with her.

Dark blue eyes darted around the ancient debris with hope, her hands moving absently to rest against her chest. Her fingertips pressed into the back of her hand and in her excitement she said nothing, only began to walk faster.

There was a thought to tell her to slow down as the group followed behind her. Not only were they struggling to keep along a path that was surprisingly clear as well as marked by the time worn stone walls, but Tya was also lagging behind with interest toward what else could possibly be out and around these walls. She didn't really get her chance to separate though, because as Link noticed she was beginning to fall behind, he slowed with her, hand slipping into hers as he started to escort her slowly.

Her lips formed a small pout, but he smiled, fingers slipping between hers and slowly dragging her along. "It'll only get better,"

Given the fact that he was probably right, she moved after him. Her warm grasp tightened on his, her attention effectively pulled off the stone by the feeling of his thumb brushing softly over her skin. Her free hand reached to set on his arm as well, and though she was still intrigued by what they were going to come upon, she clung to him with a light hold.


	5. Chapter 4

His ploy to get her to come along was effective, and this allowed them to catch back up to Zelda. They hadn't fallen behind that far; they could still see Zelda ahead, but it did require a small half-jog to actually reach her again. When they did, they were allowed to slow, but not by much.

She moved through the vegetation easily, paying little mind to the vines whipping at her legs and thorns digging into her clothing. The leather of her boots was much too thick to let it get through, and it appeared that the fabric of her pants was just the same, or she just couldn't be bothered to deal with the little pricks that were making their way through.

Whatever the answer, it was obvious that they were nearing the destination by how fluidly she was recalling this path, and how anxious she was to actually _reach_ it.

It seemed that the majority of this forest, had pathways made through it, likely due to the Kikwi's presence before the Hylians returned to the surface. But this had long veered off it, far into the trees that they hadn't actually much been required into back during their initial journey. It was far more dense than what was around their settlement, or even the majority of the either Skyview or Hylia's temple. So really, it was nice to see. Tya had dwelled on the very edges of dense forestation to hunt for new herbs for Owlan, but she hadn't been brave enough to enter without someone by her side.

Being in this though really started to make her realize how little the surface world had been explored. The places Link's journey led them were only small portions of an otherwise massive land that could very well be untouched by humanity, _or_ , and this thought made her shudder with both excitement and a touch of fear, skin prickling as she squeezed Link's arm- _or_ civilizations long lost to the Goddess and her people. To find something like that…

The thought alone nearly made her utter an accidental squeal of excitement, causing her steps to hurry forward after Zelda, though she knew that nothing such as this would come about from where they were headed. Regardless, she released her companion to catch up to Zel, who hurriedly took her hand and started off in a slow jog.

They slowed as the path opened to a long overgrown courtyard or at least that was the feel it gave off. She wasn't sure at all if that was right, but judging by the space of the walls from one another, and what she could vaguely tell to be a circular shape, as well as the massive tree centered directly in the middle, hanging over various other smaller ones as well as thick vegetation devouring the decrepit stone.

Beyond the vague courtyard shape lay the ruins of a building in much the same state of the fencing outside. Vines pushed through the dirty grey brick, spreading and clinging to the sides. The remnants of tall broken windows lined each side, and on the floor lay the remains of what she could only assume had been the ceiling at one point. Now it was packed in with the dirt and the beginnings of new greenery and life that had seeded into it.

"This is it?" Tya asked as Zelda finally slowed. Zel's breathing was heavy, not from the exertion but rather from anticipation at seeing this place again. The grip she had on Tya's hand tightened and she nodded her head just before starting off around the massive looming tree in the middle.

The doors had been tall in the days they stood, that was obvious by the basic arch of the structure's entrance, but wherever they had gone, Tya couldn't tell. Likely somewhere far beneath the dirt, or even rotted into the earth itself if they'd been wooden.

She watched her step, taking the lead as Zel slowed only so she could guide her up the unstable mounds of rock and dirt. She helped her keep her footing, glancing back as Groose and Link finally caught up.

Though the three of them had clear interest in looking around, Zel's eyes lay specifically on the far end of the wall that had entirely fallen in. It looked as if there had at one point been stone pillars there, but they'd toppled over and taken a good bit of the wall with it. To the right of it was a bolder hidden beneath decades of soil that formed a slope, suggesting that the land there had gave way and crashed into the wall, taking it down and blocking off whatever it was Zelda had her attention on.

Tya didn't release her hand. She stood straight atop one little hill, foot anchored on a jutting brick, and from her position studied the area until she got the look her friend had. It was only then as she looked at Zelda that she noticed more than just the scenery. There was a beautiful soothing silence over the place, aided by the light filling in from between the leaves overhead, but there was something that pushed that just to the brink of discomfort. Something intangible in the air; a feeling, hard to place that pressed on them. Despair, perhaps? Anguish, nostalgia, homesickness, but… only some radiated from Zelda herself. Her eyes watered, but whatever this feeling came from, it wasn't her.

"Something isn't right," Zelda tilted her head in Tya's direction, but found she couldn't pull her eyes off the fallen end of the structure. "I need to get over there. Can we see if there's a way through?"

The three turned to one another in silent contemplation, all with expressions that said they didn't mind if the others didn't. With the sentiment clearly shared, Tya began to slide down off the mound she'd helped Zelda onto so they could convene and figure out a game plan.

"Perhaps we should set up a place to camp and begin trying to clear the rubble?" She suggested as she got to down onto level ground, one hand holding out to steady herself against Groose's shoulder while the other remained out for Zelda to help her down as well. Groose extended his arm behind her back, easily encompassing both her and Zel as she slid down and into Tya. They were kept steady by his hold, and once they regained their balance, Tya stepped out of his grasp and looked toward the opposite wall again.

"Might be too da-dange- _dangerous_ to do th-that." Link commented, biting softly at his lower lip as he considered it. Certainly if they started at the bottom, but if they could find a place on top it may not be so bad? Unless of course they pulled out a piece that caused it all to cave and got drug down in the slide of the rocks.

Her lips formed a thin line as she considered these options. Both seemed equally as risky. She wondered if perhaps they'd be able to blow it out?

"Did you bring along your bomb bag?" She looked back at Link, tapping her own hip to signify the spot he usually kept it in. He nodded his head, tugging at the small pouch that Tya still found it difficult to believe any of those hand-sized bombs could be kept in.

"No, don't-.. Don't use bombs. Not unless we absolutely have to, I want that to be the last choice. Please." Zelda requested with a small wave of her hands. After a moment, she just quietly proceeded to mutter "please…" once more, to which the two of them both nodded.

"Got anything else?" Groose asked between them, causing them to look between one another once more. There was no clear communication, but somehow it was clear enough they were on the same page.

The gust bellows were out- not only had they left it at home, but the soil was much too packed in to be budged by that. The only other thing that could be beneficial to him were the mogma mitts he had, though whether or not he'd brought them along she wasn't sure, and that still raised the problem of causing a possible rock slide should they start on a weak spot.

"Maybe we should scout it out first," Groose spoke before either of them came to a conclusion on a good method. "See if there's any holes or any way in, not all of it looks like it's covered in the dirt there, so maybe there's a weak spot in wall," he pointed to the side that hadn't been entirely obliterated.

"I am wary of walking too close or walking on top of it," Tya said, getting him to look down to Zelda again.

"She's light, she can go," he pointed down to her, to which she perked up with every intention of doing it. Before they could really settle on that plan though, Link plopped his own pack on the ground and detached the beetle from it's side, looking between them with a somewhat pleased smile.

"For Recon," Tya said with an impressed half cocked smile on her face.

The two of them nodded to say that worked better, relaxing a bit and motioning for Link to proceed.

He set the beetle up, popping it off and watching the image on his arm as he guided it to circle around the area. The farther end of it looked to still be mostly standing, though much of the ceiling could no longer be seen through the dirt and grass that had grown over it. It was buried now, but with the fact that part of it was still stable and standing up, some of the packed dirt had fallen. Roots attached one side to the other, but through those, there was complete darkness, implying that there was a hole in it.

Once the group took note of it, Link began to fly the beetle back.

The moment Zelda saw which direction to go, she started off toward the opening, Groose close behind this time as Link and Tya lagged behind again to tie the beetle back to the pack. Given the fact that the two others had taken off without them, the moment they got it secured they had to hurry off after them, climbing up the higher ground and circling around carefully to meet the two of them again. It was a bit irritating that they'd been so easily ditched, but Tya understood that for some reason there was an urgent need for Zelda to finish this mission. Still, she was glad to see that they waited before getting into the building from this end.

As they were rejoined, Zelda drew the blade she'd been given, setting it against the roots and looking back toward the others to let them know to give her a bit of room, which they promptly did. No one was interested in getting smacked with an unwieldy blade. She centered it as if it were a golf club and she needed precision for this, then struck through them with the sharpened edge. The path hung open, and she resheathed her blade, then looked back to the group.

With little to no thought, Tya stepped forward, a hand igniting so she could light the inside, but before she could slide down into it, she heard a little confused squeak leave Zelda.

Tya looked up at her, unsure of why exactly she had made that sound, then again toward the fact that Zelda was blatantly eyeing her with curiosity.

"Since when can you do that?" She asked, motioning to the fire, which Tya looked at. She tilted her head a little before lowering her hand and turning her attention onto Zelda again.

"Did I never tell you about that?"

"No!?"

"...Well I've been able to do it for some time. I forgot that it was even a secret at one point-" she looked back to Groose. "I never told either of you, did I?"

"I saw it once. Didn't question it." He motioned to Zelda then to Link, and though he said nothing about it, she understood that both of them had a level of odd magic to them that could very easily desensitize a man.

"Fair enough," she accepted, plopping onto the side so she could sip through the hole.

As Zel watched her prepare to slide through, her expression of concern and urgency faded out to one of some playful disbelief. "I can't believe you kept a secret like that from _me_ , I'm your best friend!"

"I know, I told the kid I barely knew before I told you," she motioned with a flaming hand back to Link.

"The kid you barely knew, _and_ the blockhead!" She pointed to Groose, who only seemed mildly offended by her comment before he reached and nudged her shoulder. The gesture was humorous, only proving to break Zel into a longer fit of giggles as she leaned over on his shoulder.

"So I'm assuming you of all people won't think of me as a freak, then?" Tya asked, to which Zelda quickly shook her head.

"I'm the vessel of the Goddess. I don't think I can judge you for being-" she stopped herself then, expression softening as she looked at Tya, then up to Link. Curiosity pulled Tya to look back up at her, head tilted and brow furrowed.

"I-" Zelda stopped herself, genuine confusion this time as opposed to the abrupt halt she had come to earlier in conversation. "I know something, but it was only there for a second," she admitted, to which Tya slumped with clear disappointment.

"I want to know what I am," her lips puckered into a pout, and Zelda tilted her head a little.

"Well I can tell you for sure that one thing you are is in the way."

Her pout stopped and she glared up at her friend before she moved to slip into the hole, fire held out to light the area as she landed the few feet onto the ground.

The ceiling above didn't seem that stable, the sound of dirt showering across the ground immediately alerting her. But that was very quickly dismissed as she noted something else. She went silent and still, body straightening as something in the dark let out a heavy breath.


	6. Chapter 5

Tya held her breath, fire extinguishing quickly to not alert whatever was accompanying them, of her current position. She could hear the soft padding of large feet on the ground as well as the quick breath of an animal searching for a scent. From above her, through the hole, Zelda tried to see through the dark. Her uncertainty showed with the fact that she started to speak but choked on the question, afraid her voice would attract whatever was lurking.

Her hesitance was quick to attract Link's attention though. The moment he saw her tense and go quiet, and the light down below extinguish, he moved to the edge, softly nudging Zel out of the way. When she moved, he slipped his pack off and carelessly tossed it aside so he could wedge himself into that hole and fall down at Tya's side, shield brandished.

The impact of his landing caused the breaths to huff, a low growl laced within, but no attacks came. Link reached back to take hold of Tya's wrist, pulling it forward and shaking it softly in the manner he usually used to get her to ignite. She reacted on instinct, lighting up with a larger flame than before. In the shadows her fire didn't reach, there was a glimpse of yellow fur belonging to something that was much larger than the both of them.

Three massive tails brushed passed, the tips naturally black and the fur, matted and tangled.

The light of day spilling through the entry hole blotted out briefly as Groose wedged himself through. He dropped down behind the two, his blade drawn with hesitancy to keep from making noise, which Link soon repeated.

Amber eyes locked forward, Groose leaned down to her, whispering "Can you light it up in here?"

To which she nodded, holding her hand up toward the top. She pulled her focus off what was looming in the darkness and let her fire pour out to cover the the ground overhead, further illuminating the area.

As it spread across an area much, much wider than she had expected, it became clear that much of the structure was still standing inside. Somehow despite the dirt still on top of it, it was still standing, hollowed out like a den. The cove that they'd all slid into at that point, Zelda being the last to enter as Tya's fire spread, was just a small dirt cavern. There was a drop off a few feet in front of them, and the dirt curved upward to give a higher ceiling, though not by much. Her fire was only able to extend out a few feet from that, but she could see the moss-grown stone floor that was built into the place itself.

"Should we proceed?" She asked, glancing back to the group. Groose and Link kept their eyes fixed on the illuminated area, watching for any sign of life.

For a moment no one replied, but Tya didn't expect Groose and Link to know the answer to that question. This wasn't their quest after all, so her eyes fell on Zelda. The girl chewed nervously at the inside of her cheek, breathing slightly heavier as she watched the space. It took some time before she concluded firmly: "I need to get in there."

At that response, Link breathed in, looking to Tya who locked eyes with him just before moving forward to the edge before the short drop off.

Sword and shield drawn, Link followed after her, putting himself a step ahead to keep out of fire but in her defense should she need it.

As she reached the edge, she held her free hand out as well, pressing them close while her palms still faced outward so she may put more out and ignite the area further.

It all came into view then.

The area was rectangular, the built entrance centered and blocked off at one side and metal borders that suggested windows had been there at one time lined the opposite wall. Between each of the four windows was a statue, the details to which she couldn't make out from this distance, and though she held immense interest toward them, she couldn't let her concentration move off what stood on the far end of the room. Where the land had slid in, pillars kept up a surprisingly sturdy ceiling, the rubble of the wall littering the floor. Standing partially perched atop a mound of dirt, head bowed to avoid hitting the enclosed top, was a beast Tya was made to wonder how in the world got down there to begin with.

Yellow fur was mangled much like that of the tails she'd seen moments before. It's snout was long and wrinkled with the way it bared two rows of razor sharp, yellowed teeth at them. It's nose moved making it clear it had their scent, but the rest of its face was blank. It didn't appear to even have any cavities in which eyes would belong.

Scarring littered the thinner fur on its face, and as it moved slow toward them, it was clear enough that there were patches missing along its back.

Link took in a deep breath. "Keep it lit."

"-Wait, don't-" Zelda said hastily, causing the beast's pointed ears to flatten as it growled with obvious hostility.

"What do you mean don't?" Tya asked, her tone possibly a bit too harsh out of panic. Before that question could be answered, the animal caught hold of the rigidness they left in the air, and without further warning launched forward from it's back legs and into Link as he stood in the front.

He hurried to hold his shield before him, guarding his head as the creature's mouth clashed with the metal. If it would have hit just a bit farther down it would have effectively been able to fit the item entirely in it's mouth and possibly rip it away from Link, but instead it was just made to crumple, drawing back with a small pained whine before it steadied, pulled upright, and uttered a clearer growl, hard, hostile, and from deep in its throat. It's mouth opened as it made the sound, teeth still showing to relay that it was indeed displeased with their presence.

Taking in a breath, Zelda stepped forward, pushing aside Groose's hand as he moved to stop her.

"Both of you keep it off us," she ordered him and Link. "Don't hurt it- just keep it distracted. Something is wrong, but I can fix it if I don't get interrupted." She clarified, looking between them both. Though hesitant, the boys both stepped forward, dropping off the part as Tya's fire gaveway for them to do so. The animal could clearly feel the heat as it paced just along the edges of her light, but now that it had gone, it began to move forward slowly.

Link and Groose took opposite sides as Tya's fire focused on covering the ceiling particularly. With the beast hunkering down as it grew closer to them, they needed to act fast before it pounced. Sliding off to the side with the statues, Link bashed the edge of his shield against the stone, causing the creature to flinch as it whipped in his direction.

As they began their effort to keep it distracted, Zelda stepped up to Tya's side, her hands drawing back to set over her chest as she closed her eyes.

Under her breath, she began something that only took a second to comprehend: "Goddess of our land, Goddess of light…"

Tya glanced at her, letting out a breath at the beginnings of a prayer, but rather than letting her curiosity or worry wander, she forced her attention on keeping the room lit for Link and Groose to see and maneuver. A wrong move could bring down the ceiling, and too much noise could pull that thing back onto them, which would disrupt what Zelda was beginning.

The roof over them seemed to have been a problem on both Tya and Link's mind. She could see the way he looked up at it as Groose pulled the beast's attention around to him, dodging easily as it swiped a large claw in his direction. Of course the moment that happened, she could see Link turn elsewhere, rushing forward to hit against its back paw with his shield, causing it to swipe it's tail down at him. Despite the creature's size though, this didn't seem to be an overly effective attack, nor did the initial lunge when it hit into Link's shield.

Her eyes narrowed, beginning to study the animal's physique. When it stood still in hopes of listening for their position, she could see that it shook under its own weight. It was slim, its fur was dull even in the bright light of fire. It seemed stiff, and was clearly weak…

Her breathing hitched and she looked back at Zelda with a bit of panic. How stupid of her to have let it take so long to click in her mind that this wasn't an enemy, it was an innocent unhealthy animal. She had noted that there was no way something so large got in on it's own, and with how weak it was, she realized that it likely couldn't break out either. It may have been able to smell the exit, but pushing out of it wasn't an option.

The fire began to retract, slowly dimming as her attention was pulled elsewhere. The moment it did, she heard Link's voice echo across the hole: "Focus, Ty!"

She flinched, perking upright again and sending out a burst of fire in her brief distress and confusion. It curled across the walls, spreading over the ceiling once more, but following it was a wide, blinding ray of light.

Eyes were forced to close tight, but as it faded out into complete darkness again, having taken Tya's fire out with it, everything was silent and unmoving.

She felt a hand grasp her upper arm, but in the dim lighting of their entrance at their back she could see it was just Zelda. Her hands ignited once more but the fact that her train of thought had abruptly veered off course left her mind briefly skewed to the point she she didn't think to send her light across the room. She and Zel moved to drop over the edge and slowly step out to find Link and Groose.

She could hear Link on the floor, knowing the sounds of his armor more distinctly than any Groose made. The redhead wasn't moving along with him, but she wasn't concerned as neither was the beast. As Link came into her light, she raised her hand up again, letting her fire spill over the ceiling with a small flourish that ignited quite a bit of the area.

Lying on one of the mounds just before Groose was a smaller version of the same beast. With this angle, she couldn't see much of it. Three tails lay sprawled across the floor, pointed ears flattened on its head, and it's stomach heaved as it tried desperately to catch it's breath.

Without thinking, her fire went out again and she hurried to the spot it had been lying to scoop it up in her arms.

"Ty-" Link called through the darkness, causing her to pause as she cradled the animal.

"You've got to light the way out." Zelda continued, getting a little hum of agreement from Link. She glanced around, sitting still as her mind caught up to that direction. Breathing in, she adjusted to hold the animal in one arm, pressed to her chest, while her free hand held outward and away from it so she could once again light the way.

Zel, being the one closest to her, looked toward the severely weakened creature in her arms with clear concern. "Let's get out to the light again."

Groose being the tallest of the bunch, he pulled himself up first, hands holding out so he could help Link out of the hole. Together they hoisted up Zelda and held their hands out for the creature in Tya's arms. She helped it through, keeping it as stable as possible, and as they lifted it out, Zel took it and stepped back to the spot Link had left his pack. She plopped onto the ground, watching as they pulled Tya out, then looked up at all three of them.

"We should get it food," Tya stated first, motioning toward its body to draw attention to how thin it was.

"Water," Groose added, causing her to nod her head.

Though a bunch of now larger, previously hostile creatures were now tending to it, the animal didn't much seem to care about who was in its presence. It's appearance had altered from what she had seen inside, it's teeth normal for its face and eyes now squeezed shut likely due to not having adjusted to the bright light of the outside. That, and the fact that it was significantly smaller, though still possibly large enough for a toddler to ride on the back of, if it wasn't so terribly malnourished.

"Can you guys tend to it?" Zel asked up to them. "I need to go back down there. I want to know why it was as it was when we went in."

Groose and Link looked to each other at that, nodding their heads to accept it. Though Tya wanted to, she knew she'd be going back in with Zelda as she was the one that could actually create light for her to see.

The little canine was passed over to Link as he took a seat next to where Zelda had been, and she rose to join Tya.

"Be ca-careful," Link told them both softly, to which Tya offered a soft smile to reassure him. After he returned it, the two turned back to slip back inside.

* * *

( **Don't forget to let me know what you guys think so far**! **I'm going to try to post a chapter every Monday, if you are all enjoying it**.)


	7. Chapter 6

Tya went in first, sticking a landing on the ground and letting her knees bend so she didn't destroy them in the process. It wasn't a high fall, but it was a couple feet taller than herself, so the precaution was taken. As she straightened, she lit a hand and looked back up toward the hole where Zelda was kneeling backwards so she could push off and slip in. She landed, stumbling a bit, but steadying herself with one hand out and the other on Tya's shoulder.

She dusted her hands on her pants then straightened out her shirt before she looked around. Zel started forward, leaning to brace herself on the edge of the drop off so she could slide down easy, and Tya followed. This one being significantly shorter than the last, she just stepped over the edge.

"Any idea what we're looking for?" Tya asked as they both stalled there at the lowest point of the building.

"Not at all," Zel answered, biting once more at the inside of her cheek. "I was hoping there'd be some clues to what happened, but I don't know what they may be." Despite this, she started with curious steps toward the statues along the wall. A fact Tya was beyond pleased with as her curiosity was once more piqued by their presence. She hadn't forgotten them, but their existence had taken a backseat to the well-being of the creature. She would have regretted leaving without looking at them.

As they neared them, Tya let her fire grow.

Gnarled roots peaked out of the soil that flooded in through the windows, packing in behind two of the statues. Some had began to grow around the statues, clinging to the stone in a fruitless attempt to find the moisture they'd seek.

The pair strolled along the row of statues, eyes flicking between their steps to be sure they didn't trip, and the time worn effigies. The first two interested her in the way they'd been depicted. The first wasn't stood up in any overly heroic stance. The features of its face had long since been eroded, one long ear chipped and a whole side of its face. On the side that was still somewhat intact though, she could make out what looked to be glasses. To its chest, was pressed a book, but more curiously, was the bottom of the statue. Her head tilted because at first glance, it seemed unfinished with a large chunk of stone reaching about thigh high. It started at the feet on one side and curled around the back as if it was encasing the person. There were details still left in that section of stone- ripples, almost like water.

The next was similarly curious. This one stood with less regality than the first. A polearm was grasped tight in one hand, though the top of it had broken off some time ago. This one was even more difficult to make out the features of because it seemed to be wearing a helm of some sort, the engravings to which had become abraded leaving nothing more than rigid indentations of what once was. It was fully armored and at the base, much like the first, was something she didn't expect. Beneath the real roots that had begun to clung to this one more so than any of the others, were stone ones that wrapped around the figure's greaves.

Though curious about the elements portrayed on each, she said nothing. Her curiosities still remained about the first two, but the statue they approached after was undeniable. It was larger than the other four. Long hair that flowed even in stone. A gown that hung to her shins, the neck of which was intricate and softened by corrosion. She looked toward Zelda, whose eyes were set fondly upon her own likeness. A soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she reached out to softly run her fingers along the edges of the familiar dress.

Seeing Hylia among these statues though made her glance back toward the two she had already examined, then to the next. She couldn't tell much of the second one, but there was an indication of wings on a sword that crossed his back that caught her attention. Her mouth opened briefly, but her words held for a second as she made a few connections in her mind.

Once it all clicked she held a hand up to indicate the two they'd passed. "Are these depictions of the Golden Goddesses?"

Zel looked up at them, shaking her head without thought. "No," she answered, loosening up and keeping her eyes on them firmly. "Corik and Nera."

Without thinking, Tya questioned "who are they?"

Zelda paused, eyes narrowing as she tried to cling to the vague memory of them. She kept her gaze locked on the statues, took in a deep breath and cleared her mind. Only when she went quiet did Tya realize that she'd interrupted the natural flow of memories Zelda had to work with. Her hand raised to set over her mouth as a sign she was quieting herself, but Zel paid her no mind.

She'd mentioned before that if she actively _tried_ to access these memories, it wouldn't work. They wouldn't come, and if they did, they were vague and uncertain and often wrong, which she'd find out later when they flooded back naturally. However if she cleared her mind in much the same manner she had to to cleanse herself in the springs, almost in a state of meditation, they'd come back naturally when triggered, and be so vivid it was almost as if she was reliving them.

So Tya quieted, watching as Zelda took deep breaths and tried calmly to clear her thoughts of the question asked.

"Corik and Nera…" She started, trailing off. "They were two of the people that made up Link's company. He had a few, but they were high ranking- commander and advisor." As she explained this, blue eyes opened once more to look down the line to the last one. "And that's Ceveil."

On instinct, Tya repeated "Ceveil," drawing Zel's mind back to her. She flinched at herself, and again, without thinking, hurriedly said "I'm sorry-" which both her and Zelda proceeded to groan at.

The fellow blonde's hands went up to her head, pressing at her temples as she tried to find that space again. Her eyes closed tight as she tried to clear her mind, but she soon dropped her hands and puckered her lips into a frown at Tya.

"I'm sorry," Tya said once more, her guilt more than clear in both her tone and expression.

"No, it's okay, really. It's fragile- I don't even know if that was all true." She motioned back up to the statues. "Corik, Nera, Ceveil," she repeated once more as if committing it more firmly into _this_ memory rather than the other. "I'll remember them, I'm sure. Corik, Nera, Ceveil. Commander, Advisor, and Guardian."

The last part slipped out naturally to her, and she didn't take notice of the fact that that part hadn't been added before. She turned on her heel, moving to the dimmed edge of Tya's light so she could look up at the familiar statue. And as much as Tya wanted to question any of the positions she said, she kept her mouth shut and followed after so she may look up at the next.

This one was very clear. Even she could identify it, much like she had with the likeness of Hylia. There was no Goddess Memory needed to tell. He stood straight, chin raised, but his pose wasn't exaggerated for stoicism. No, the stance he took was familiar, even if his stature differed from the Link she knew. He was taller, slimmer, and there were indications of armor, as well as something around his neck- looked to be cloth, leading her to believe it was a scarf.

Seeing him there made her smile much the same way Zelda had upon looking at Hylia. She held her hand a bit closer just to see the Goddess' first Chosen Hero, then looked to Zelda so they may proceed to the last of the statues.

Her adoration melted away, uncovering curiosity once more. This time what she felt was so much more significant than the last had been, because much like the last, this one had an element on the pedestal on which it stood. Carvings of flames rose from the rounded stage, encircling a woman with her hair pulled back in what used to be either a low ponytail or a braid. Which, Tya couldn't tell. Her face was more eroded than the others, a good portion of it even chipped off likely do to the landslide that flooded in at her side. Ceveil, the Guardian Zelda had said. Surrounded by fire, which Tya reached out to idly touch.

"Why is it they have these elements?" Her question was absent, hoping for an answer but knowing she wouldn't be rewarded with one.

"This is…" Tya pulled her attention of the statue, looking back toward Zelda, "this is unrelated, is it not? Do these statues have anything to do with the reason for that creature's corruption?"

Zelda breathed in heavily in attempt to redirect her attention to their surroundings, only to cough at the stale dirtiness of the air they were in. She waved her hand a bit as she choked, covering her mouth soon after and shaking her head in an answer.

When she caught her breath again she croaked "no, I's just 'nterested."

Tya tilted her head a bit, watching as Zel once again tried to get her bearings, then turned and looked out into the darkness at the edges of the light.

After the coughing passed, and Tya's concern with it, she turned her attention out as well. "Most of this was rubble it seemed," she glanced between it and Zel.

"Yeah," she agreed, lips pursing. "Well, we could at least _look_. Can you light it up as much as you can so I can have a look around?"

"Yes, but be quick if you can," Tya requested with a faint sheepish smile. "I've used a lot of it, I'm not sure how much longer I've got until I'm exhausted."

With that, the girl nodded her head, a determined look on her face to say she was ready as Tya raised both hands, pressed them, and let her fire unfurl against the dirt ceiling.


	8. Chapter 7

Just as both had assumed, they came out of their search empty handed, at least in regards to what had caused the vulpine creature to become such a monstrosity. While that was unfortunate and very concerning, Tya was pleased to have at the very least the _names_ of some historical figures. Perhaps with those, she could find out something on her next trip up to Skyloft, but despite her interest and excitement, it would have to wait until they found out more on the animal.

Not only had something clearly mutated the poor thing, but whatever it was was significant enough to alert Zelda, and that was without a doubt cause for concern. What was even more worrisome was the proximity to the settlement as well as the temple itself.

"Do you think that the imprisonment of Demise led to things becoming corrupt?" Zelda questioned, looking through the firelight to the three others. They'd built up a small camp after clearing out a space in the courtyard area of the building, and settled around a fire.

"It's been a year though," Groose argued with uncertainty.

"Yes, but even back then there were monstrous creatures everywhere. His influence easily could have spread to those," Tya added, fingers brushing softly through the fur of the creature sleeping in her lap. She was careful not to pull on it and awaken it, but the mats were maddening. She couldn't get them out as it was, but that didn't stop her fingers from absently picking at them.

"Not to men- Not to mention the fact th-that the-the seal was we-weakening," Link said.

Nodding in agreement, Tya said "the weakening of it could have easily let something spread that is harming the wildlife."

Groose's eyes narrowed in thought as he looked down to the fire. "So then whadda we do t' fix it?"

This question left the three of them silent for a moment or two before Zelda straightened, her look similarly uncertain. "Maybe… I can purify everything? It worked with this." An idle motion was made out toward the animal in Tya's lap.

It was a decent idea- or rather it was the only solution. Whatever the problem had been, it _was_ fixed by Hylia's light, and thus there wasn't much else to do as nothing else compared. Perhaps kill the creatures infected, but to do that they'd have to know which creatures were, and even then that way wasn't surefire. Glancing down to the animal, Tya held her breath as she asked "On such a large scale? Do you know the bounds of your light, or even how to amplify it to the extent needed?"

Zelda opened her mouth once as if going to speak, but caught herself before any words could come out. She held for a moment before her demeanor faltered to disappointment. "I don't, but there has to be a way."

"MMaybe s-sections?" Link suggested, shoulders shrugging as if it were a simple solution.

Eyes on Link, Groose asked "Like goin' to parts of the forest and doing the light thing?" to which Link nodded his head.

"We'd need to test the radius of my light. And I don't even know how to do that."

"...Perhaps we could have you stand at the goddess statue and we could make some sort of line all at different distances?"

It wasn't much of an idea, certainly not solid, but it was really all they had. As the group acknowledged that, they all nodded slowly in agreement toward it.

"First things first though," Zelda leaned to see past the fire that separated her and Tya. "We should take him back to the settlement so someone can take care of him while we go out to do this. Carting him around wouldn't be a good idea."

Once more, they all agreed silently.

With a vague plan set toward the healing of the land, they left the subject behind, at least aloud. It was still clear that that was on all their minds, though it was weighing more on both Link and Zelda for understandable reasons. It was burdensome to all of them, but Groose didn't quite possess the knowledge of these subjects to be concerned further. The solution was the solution if Zelda and Link said so, the two of them being experts. And for Tya, the anxiety induced by the situation was overshadowed by possibly the only thing she'd be optimistic about rather than "realistic" (pessimistic, but she'd say otherwise): the uncovering of possible lore.

Sure, things were corrupt, but the settlement thus far was untouched all except for Zelda herself, and that was manageable. She was capable, and while she was scared, she was ready to make decisions to fix the problem rather than flee or stay still and await death. So long as the four of them stuck together, they'd likely be able to figure out the problem, _and_ in the process, there was a strong possibility that they'd be able to venture to places that would add more pieces to that wonderful puzzle of Tya's.

Perhaps it wasn't the best place to find optimism, but she couldn't help herself. The mysteries of the surface were so interesting…

The group ate a bit then passed along some idle chatter that held nothing particularly important before electing to head to bed. Only having brought one tent, they all settled in together, Tya and Zel in the middle of Link and Groose, and in the center of all four of them, the creature, swaddled in a blanket. The moment Groose got warm and comfortable, he was out, but for the other three, finding sleep was more difficult.

Laying on her side, faced away from the little fox, Tya admittedly didn't know Zelda was awake, but she could plainly see Link trying and failing to doze off. Not only was this place foreign with the usual discomforts that you needed to become accustomed to in camping, _and_ Link's already near inability to sleep peacefully, it had an air about it. It was likely they all felt it, but no one had actually said anything regarding it.

It was so heavy with sorrow…

It was just a feeling; an _aura_ the place had, and it was possibly a little ridiculous, but Tya couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in it. The despair so thick, it was hard not to feel a little sad for the things that once were. That was a sentiment which, when she thought of, she wondered if she meant the sadness from not knowing more about the place, or the sadness of something else- something beyond her limits, brought about by the spirits that potentially lingered.

Oh that thought… Spirits…

She shuddered, body tensing as she slunk a bit closer to Link. Was this place haunted? She wasn't sure- she hadn't seen anything of the sort whilst down in the darkness, but that didn't mean anything. Her mind was entirely taken up by other things at the time, so it very well could be. Cuddling to his arm prompted him to stir a bit, his head resting on hers as he shifted a little closer and slid an arm beneath the opened lip of her bedroll.

"Cold?" She questioned just barely above a whisper, to which he just gave a soft shrug.

"You came over here," he replied. She couldn't argue with that, though she hadn't really noticed the instinctive movement until it was made.

"The acknowledgement wasn't a complaint," with that, her voice did drop to a whisper. He let out an amused breath against her hair, shifting just a bit to press a kiss to the top of her head.

Silence fell once more, and though Link was close, his arm wrapped around her waist, she couldn't stop thinking about the spirits that could be lingering at that point. Her mind wandered from the thought of possession- the very phobia that had frozen her on multiple occasions, not only with stalfos, but after; she'd been forced to acknowledge the existence of that sort of paranormal and now the slightest movement of an object untouched by a human hand would startle her, _but_ one would digress-

Her mind wandered from the thought of possession on to the possible identities of the ghosts that could be there. She was quick to draw a very thin, stretched line back to the likenesses seen in the buried end of the building. Could the spirits of Corik, Nera, and Ceveil be in despair because of their lives? Because of their failure with Demise? Or something else? Another piece to the puzzle, perhaps?

At least _that_ bit of optimism could remain even in fear.

She lay there awake for some time, too caught in her own thoughts to notice the subtle little hints that said link was still awake, as well as Zelda's shifting behind her. A thumb softly caressed the curve of her waist, his nose nuzzled against her hair, exasperated breaths left him, but finally, Link pulled himself up and looked down the line. Tya's lack of responses no doubt left him to believe she'd fallen asleep, which he was fine with, but that was irrelevant to the aggravation of not being able to join her. He kicked down the woolen edge of his own bed roll, leaning to the end of the shelter where he'd crowded it with the pieces of his armor, and began to shift them around to find his boots as silently as he could manage.

His separation managed to pull Tya from her daydreaming, but the scrapes of metal was what got her to roll onto her back so she could sit upright and look at him.

"Are you going out?" She whispered.

He nodded, letting out a sigh as his lips formed a frown.

"Would you prefer I stay here?"

The formation of the question suggested her desire to come along, and he caught it quickly. After grabbing his own boots, he slid hers toward the middle of their spots so she could slip out of the little cloth cocoon and put them on.

Ducking out of the tent, Tya immediately went to the dug out pit that still held the cooled embers from the fire they'd had earlier that night.

"Would you like me to relight it?"

"Don't need to," he answered, plopping onto the ground next to it regardless. "It's not-not too cold, an-and I don't want to hunt- want to hunt for fuel later."

She accepted that, moving to sit at his side. With a touch of amusement and exaggerated flirtation, she extended out a hand, shoulders wiggling for emphasis as she said "If you get cold, you are welcome to some of my heat."

He chuckled at her demeanor, shaking his head before resting it on her shoulder. She sat still to allow the gesture, accepting his weight with no problem. She was more than ready to sit in only the sounds of the nature around them- of the insects in the grass, the gentle night wind rustling the trees overhead, the nocturnal beasts lurking away from their foreign scent. The only things that disrupted it were the sound of Groose's breathing- not exactly a snore, but it _was_ heavier, and her previous thoughts of the spirits. Whether they were there or not, she was able to take solace in her wonder, as well as another reaching guess that Zelda's light may purify whatever corruption they harbored that would make them hostile toward either her or Link.

She figured in this silence, it was most likely that she'd find her way back to her daydreaming, and all the assumptions she could make of this place, but before she could get so immersed as she was back in the tent, Link shifted on her side and asked "so what-what was d-down there?"

She glanced to him, a brow arched. The question had been asked initially upon their reemergence, but the answer given was more toward the mission. They didn't get the chance to discuss anything more, understandably as that was more urgent. But the fact that he asked perked her up once again, and she replied almost immediately with "statues".

"Statues?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Of the fancy company you kept, back in the day, I believe."

"Oho," Link stated rather than laughed as the sound would suggest.

She smiled. "Advisor, Commander, and Guardian. I suppose Zelda didn't say they were this 'company', but as there were statues of Hylia and her first chosen hero, I am making an assumption."

Link pulled up off her shoulder with a look of curiosity. "...There was one of-one of the chosen he-hero?"

She gave the usual nod of her head, softening as she looked at him. It wasn't the time, so she fought the urge she had to get lost in the way he looked in his sleepiness. It was adorable and there was no denying it, but she'd seen it way too often. It saddened her to see him so tired.

Without a thought, she switched their position, this time leaning over on his shoulder. After confirming that there had indeed been a statue of his past life inside, he'd gone quiet, tired eyes off toward the extinguished fire pit as he thought.

"He was quite handsome, just as you are," she offered. She knew it was irrelevant, and far from anything he could be thinking about, but it was lighter.

"You think I'm- think I'm _handsome_?" He questioned.

As if that should have been clear from the beginning she answered "of course."

He gave a soft smile at that, watching her carefully as she pulled off his shoulder to look at him. That familiar urge spiked briefly, but neither acted on it. Instead, he leaned forward, eyes closed and his forehead set affectionately to hers.

However this one was set apart from other times he'd done this, as this time he didn't just leave it at that. Instead, his nose brushed hers in the form of a bunny kiss, causing her to slink down, face hidden against his chest as her cheeks darkened and she giggled nervously.

He didn't question it, only smiled and settled his arms firmly around her shoulders while she tried to calm down from the fluttering nervousness that _adorable_ gesture brought forth.

After a moment she was able to straighten, clearing her throat and trying to disregard that only so she wouldn't melt back into the small mess she'd been moments before. "Yes, so those statues, yes, she'd said their names. I was curious to know if we could make a trip back to Skyloft when we got the time and see if there was any documentation on any of them."

Leftover amusement still laced his features as he bobbed his head to accept that. There was no real need for him to come, but there also wasn't any reason for him not to, and as such Tya would happily have him along.

The conversation went silent then, allowing her thoughts to wander once more. This time they strayed away from the statues, though she was no less curious about them. But now Link was on her mind more than they'd been, primarily because she'd begun to think on his likeness. She pulled her knees up, arms straightening outward and resting over them. As she started to think on his statue, she wondered what it was he'd started to think about after she mentioned it. Was he in some way distraught over it? Or perhaps interested? Perhaps she would have known if she wouldn't have gotten distracted just by looking at him, but as stated, she couldn't help herself.

His ruffled hair and half lidded eyes were just cute. Any time he woke up, she always had the urge to just smother him with a hug, but of course that wasn't the least bit ideal, so she settled for either squishing his cheeks or cuddling up to him. Even if she did enjoy it though, she wished that it was a more joyful expression. That she only had to witness it after a nice peaceful sleep when he woke naturally, not out of fear of the things in his own head.

Seeing him jolt awake and look around their little home out of fear of his surroundings wasn't nearly as wonderful...

This thought led her to sigh, head leaning over on one of her arms. "What do you think would make our home safer to you?"

A quiet, inquisitive hum left him before his lips puckered in thought. "A window?"

"Well yes, I'm sure finished walls would definitely make a massive difference." She dismissed. "But I mean what would make it feel more like home? Perhaps it would be easier for you to sleep if you knew it was safe."

"Well I kn-know that it's s-safe." He said. Given the way she'd chosen to rest on her own arms, her hair fell to the side, brushing along the ground, and as Link continued to speak he reached to pull it all into one place so he could twist it up and keep it off the dirt. "Or really I know th-that-that you are. But I g-guess I know what you-what you mean. Like more comfortable?" Of course the attempt didn't stick. Her hair mostly unraveled, but it didn't fall back entirely. It set against her back in a loose twisted up bun that would fall the moment she moved a muscle.

All of that was something she completely dismissed because what he had said wasn't what she'd meant, and that probably showed through well on her incredibly flattered expression. She hadn't thought about that being the case; about _her_ being the safety. Of course that was the way she viewed it with him- some cliche sentiment like _he_ was home, but to hear that the notion was shared and to have it said so casually was just… _nice_.

She cleared her throat. "It wasn't, but that may also help."

"You didn't know that?"

"No. Was I supposed to?"

"Ye-Yeah," he laughed, moving to touch her arm. His fingers moved too meticulously for it to be an idle sign of affection. "You sa-said you'd make sure no-nothing happened-nothing happened to me."

He tugged up her sleeve just enough to show the straight, discolored slit in her skin. It wasn't the only scar she'd gotten protecting him, but all others were insignificant in comparison. As she looked at it, she wondered about it's significance to him, as it clearly held so much more than it did to her. To her, it wasn't enough, but to him, it was more than. It wasn't a fatal wound, and it wasn't given by any of the beings that really plagued his mind, so why would it have really mattered?

That was an answer she'd never have. Even if it wasn't enough to her, or wasn't important to her, it was to him, and there was no reason to question that.

"I was only being honest," she replied, her tone a neutral seriousness then.

A genuine smile tugged at one corner of his lips. "I know."

He let her sleeve fall back into place, smoothing it after it did, then he straightened up. "Maybe we can-we can decorate. Make stuff together."


	9. Chapter 8

Somewhere through the night, the little vulpine creature had awoken, whining pathetically against Zel's back as it still lacked the strength to move efficiently. Dehydration and starvation to its extent could be helped but not healed immediately, so it wasn't surprising. When it started up again though, Zelda slid out as well with a quiet apology to the pair who'd just went between needless chit chat and comfortable silence for the time before that. Her presence wasn't a burden though, nor was the critter's. She took a seat around the pit on Tya's side so they could keep up the little friend's body heat while it got a little more to eat and drink. Zelda kept the pieces it was given small, and made sure not to get her hands too close as she did it, as it had growled defensively at the both of them when they tried to tend to it while it was eating. She resorted to just taking off little bits of the meat they'd brought along and tossing it quickly in its general vicinity so it could get it without a lot of movement or injury toward either party.

The water was significantly easier to deal with though. She'd packed bowls so they could have soup if they so wished, so she only needed to pour some water into one of those, and the critter wasn't nearly as defensive over that.

After it was cared for, the three of them elected to wake Groose since the sky was beginning to lighten. They packed their things and started on their way with their new friend swaddled and held in Tya's arms for the journey.

It needed to be passed along through time, and they did need to take a break to give it some more food and water because it had begun to whine at the lack of, but it's behavior seemed to be changing for the better.

The trip back to the settlement was a bit longer due to the new group member, but the stroll was still pleasant even despite how tired three of the four were. It only meant the well-rested one of the bunch had to do most of the heavy lifting, but Groose had been the one to carry most of the gear the way there, so it wasn't much of a surprise he did it on the way back too.

The village boundaries were signaled by the savory smell of broth and vegetables. It was something that they hadn't been away long enough to miss, but somehow still managed to perk up each member of the group. As their next moves needed to be decided with attention and detail, they decided that they'd have to part ways and formally meet back up in the morning to better discuss what should be done when everyone was fresh and capable of competent thought.

As Zelda's house was more whole than anyone else's, she was chosen to take care of their new friend for the night, who, by that point, was seemingly a touch more lively than it had been before. It still had a way to recover, likely through some medical attention that they'd have to seek either from Owlan or someone in Skyloft when the sun rose. Until then, they took their leave.

The pair slunk back into their little shack. As the door closed behind them, it seemed almost immediate that they relaxed. The manner in which Link carried himself eased; stoicism dropped from his shoulders, allowing them to slump as he began to unlatch his armor. From Tya came a long exhale as she closed her eyes, and began to let her hair down from the tight bun it had been put in that morning.

Over the sounds of his pieces being removed, she said "wasn't so bad", to which he just hummed in partial agreement.

"Not yet," he said. He leaned to drop the parts just beneath the edge of the desk, then once they were all removed, kicked them further beneath with the toe of his boot.

Reaching to unclasp her curaiss, she glanced in his direction as he began to pull off his shirt and toss it onto the desk, wary of his tools to keep from accidentally shoving anything off it. "Did it ease some of your worry, or worsen it?"

He turned to find another in place of the one he'd just shed, thinking over the question as he did. While her eyes did stay mostly on him, she took a moment to finish removing what little she had on, pulling off the chainmail with caution to keep the links from getting caught up in her hair- A mistake she'd made on numerous occasions and regretted.

"Hard to tell," he said finally as he gathered a new outfit. "I don't kn-know what- don't know what was going on with that-that thing, but I can't guess it's good."

"You think there's more to it?" She questioned, her tone knowing. It was a shared feeling, she was sure, not just between the two of them, but between their whole group. That much was clear by how actively Zelda wanted to cleanse the entire forest. Curiously enough, Tya didn't feel all of the dread that Link did, and she wondered why, but only passively. It was likely better that way, to not be so scared when he was probably doing more than enough fretting for both of them, so she didn't push her mind on it because she knew it would be more than happy to delve into anxiety. It was a miracle that it wasn't already doing so, and she shouldn't provoke it, just be thankful that she was given the opportunity to be the stable one in this friendship for once.

"There is more," Link said as if there was no doubt in his mind.

"There's no way she would have been brought to it otherwise, unless she's just bound to know of every problem in the woods as it comes." Which would be wonderfully useful, but sounded unlikely.

Quieter, almost as if ashamed, Link recommended his own thought in response: "Or if she hears the- hears the prayers of st-struggling creatures."

Tya hushed with a bit of surprise toward that thought, then let her head cock to the side with interest. That was a hard concept to grasp, even with the knowledge that Zelda harbored the soul of the Goddess, but the fact that it was never one she considered meant that it was definitely one that caught her attention. Perhaps that was the case; perhaps the fearful beast had wanted to be saved so badly it hoped to their Goddess that it would be set free from it's dark prison. Even so, the place which they'd been taken seemed much too convenient for that to be a possibility.

Didn't it?

Tya raised a hand, finger setting absently to her bottom lip as she thought on it.

Everywhere they looked there was a piece of history, a piece which had been touched by the inhabitants of these woods long ago, a piece of Hylia herself. Far more interesting…

Link took in a deep breath as Tya seemed to get entirely distracted from the conversation. "I'm going to go wash off," he stated, earning a small hum of acknowledgement from the blonde as he started to the door. Smiling, he slowed and watched her to see if she'd actually been listening or not, and as she just stood there, completely lost in thought, he laughed. "Tya," he called.

This time, she jumped, her sound a little sharper like even her subconscious was trying to cover up the fact that she'd been distracted.

"I'm gonna go down to the bath- bathhouse." He reiterated, slower so she'd follow along. "You should come too. Your h-hair is greasy."

She sent a hand through it to test what he'd said, grimacing at the truth behind it, then went to grab some clothes for herself.

Bathed and fed, the pair retired once more to their unfinished little cabin where they happily fell into their bed, swaddled up in a few thick blankets. The nights weren't exactly _cold_ , but they weren't warm either, and for someone like Tya, the more warmth the better.

Their village was quaint. Quiet. Comforting to sleep amongst. The animals of the woods would walk the borders with interest in the lights, and occasionally venture in to the scent of food, but they hadn't ever found their ways into any of the homes, even those that were unfinished. The new scent of people was likely frightening to them, as well as the size and the loudness of them all. This level of trust among the small surface gathering meant that everyone, even those with people not fond of them, left their doors unlocked even in the dead of the night. They knew no harm would come to them, not physically, and not to their things, as no tensions had ever risen past petty mocking in the 'town square' if one could even call the little bunch of wooden tables such a thing.

Even in Tya and Link's case, the pair of reasonably anxious people, their door was left unlocked as they lay in bed.

She'd fallen asleep easily, and he was just on the edge of it, comfortable beneath the blankets as they trapped Tya's radiating warmth in them. The mattress was plush, as was a plethora of possibly too many pillows set at his back as his head hadn't any need for them, not when he had somewhere far more comfortable to rest it.

Her chest was warm, though if her skin was bare, he'd admit that it was a bit too much to sleep against all night. But that fix was simple enough- he just pulled the low neckline of her shirt up enough to have a barrier between his cheek and her skin, and this allowed him to rest comfortably just above her breast. It was easier to fall asleep here, though that didn't mean he was entirely without trouble.

His mind pulled to the things he should fear, but, to his shame, he had an easy distraction when he chose to sleep with her like this. What was even more shameful was the fact that it was so easy to call his attention elsewhere, as all he had to do was run a hand along the curve of her body. Sometimes he would even go as far to rest his hand on her hip, which he'd done in other instances, all innocently, but… as a distraction here, it often brought thoughts he'd never admit to, that the Goddess herself would probably find shamefully impure.

But that was far better to think about than whatever threats may be awaiting him to drop his guard. He'd much rather Hylia look down on him for a lustful thought here or there than stay up all night fearing the dark.

He relaxed there, just barely awake with his head nuzzled to Tya's chest, listening to the soft sounds of her breath and the thrum of her heartbeat. His thoughts, to him, weren't the least bit tame, but if he were to let on to them to anyone else, they likely would have laughed at his interpretation of risque. It was the simple thought of touching her directly rather than through her clothing. Perhaps if he'd aimed higher up in his fantasies, but he would do no such thing- that was disrespectful, thus leaving him with the far from racy thought of running his hand along her bare waist.

Even so, it was immersive enough to properly make his reactions to a noise against their unlocked front door a little more dramatic than needed. His hands ripped off Tya quickly, and he hurried to make distance between them as he pulled up and looked at the door.

Though his best friend was the one to push it open a moment later, Link didn't relax. In his tired state he failed to realize that Zelda's presence meant something was wrong, and instead assumed that she, with Hylia's soul, had seen such indecent things in his head, and was coming to scold him.

Fortunately for the dazed hero, his movements had woken his companion, and the sounds of the door opening pulled her upright, rubbing her eyes to wipe the sleep from them. Upon seeing Zelda slink closer to the bed in a state that they'd never seen, both of their thoughts were made to wash away immediately.

Link thrust the blankets off them, and Tya hurried off the edge, grabbing hold of the girl who practically collapsed against her, shaking hands hurrying to grasp at her almost painfully. Fingers bared into her ribs as Tya defensively closed her arms around Zel's neck. "What's wrong- what happened?" She questioned, her voice breaking with a touch of panic, to which the goddess' vessel just shook her head.

Link slid slowly from the bed, making his way to the pair and wrapping an arm around Zelda's back. The moment contact was made, she pulled off Tya to instead direct her attention to her hero, face buried against his chest while she clutched him just as close as she had Tya a second before. While she hadn't said anything to Tya, the moment she was close enough to Link, she sobbed in broken, shaking words "I'm so sorry."

Her apology may have appeared unwarranted, but the delivery of it meant it wasn't disregarded. Link hugged her close, rubbing her back as a means of consolation that forced another weak sob from her throat. His head rested against hers. Against her hair, he asked "Why? Why're you-why're you sorry?" but was given no response.

In his embrace, with his small touches of comfort, Zelda was allowed to calm, and it became apparent at that point that this venture hadn't been done consciously. Link guided her slowly to their bed, leading her into it and helping her lay down which she did without question. The moment she was fully in, she collapsed into the warmth of it, falling back asleep as if she'd never even woken up to begin with.

Having spent the night with Zelda numerous times, Tya had no qualms about crawling back into the bed at her friend's side, a mix of confusion and exhaustion written all over her features as she looked down at her. She couldn't even manage to really get rid of it as she looked back up to Link, motioning for him to come to join her.

Though he slunk to the side of the bed Tya was on, he didn't actually move to climb in, glancing uncomfortably to his friend, then back at her.

"You're just going-just going back to sl-sleep?"

"Yeah," Tya said with a bit of skepticism toward her own actions. "I assumed I'd let her rest and see if she remembers any of this in the morning."

While he guessed that was a pretty valid method, he was still left tense at the bedside, looking between the two of them. Finally starting to wake up again, his mind was allowing an influx of questions, the all encompassing one being 'what the fuck just happened', though of course, in his mind, it was put much more kindly.

In order to snap him out of his new daze, Tya smacked his shoulder and watched as he flinched, looking at her like he was trying to recall who the hell she was. It clicked quickly, and he leaned closer asking "why did you do th-tha- why did you do that?"

"Because you need to get in bed," she reiterated.

"N-No," he shook his head, a hand waving out to motion to Zelda. "I'm not going to share a bed with her that's…" weird wasn't exactly the word for it, as he didn't mind, but it didn't feel right. Ungentlemanly if anything, but he wasn't even entirely sure that was a word.

Whether he said it or not, Tya knew what he meant, and it left her to soften. Even if it was absurd in her mind, the fact that he stood by his respectful morality was admirable. "You sleep next to me every night," she tried to reason, earning a look from him.

"You're different," he stated as if she should know that, and really, she did.

That didn't stop her from questioning him though. "I am?"

Rather than giving a response, he just shot her that knowing look again, and as she wasn't really set on this fishing expedition, she just flashed him a halfcocked smile. "What are you going to do, then?"

That was a good question, and it showed on his face. Though he was tired and _did_ actually want to go back to bed, he instead stretched his arms out and shook his head. "I don-don't know, but I-I'll figure it out," he assured her. "Get some sleep."

"Well if you're dead set on not sleeping with us, why not go run over to her house and see if there's anything weird over there. Aside from our little critter friend, who you should probably bring back if she's sleeping here for the rest of the night." As she said this, she looked over the edge of the bed at the floor, then the blankets over her. Zelda now had a decent amount of their pillows, having taken Link's spot, but she figured the woman could go without a few if she was to make Link a nice little Respect Pallet to sleep in on the floor.

Sighing, he nodded toward her request, looking around to try and place his boots. When he did, he slipped them on and started out to do as told, and when he was gone, Tya began to drag some of their bedding to the floor. It wasn't the most comfortable set up, but she figured it was better than nothing.


	10. Chapter 9

Link returned not long after he left with their little critter friend in hand. The spot she had made was not suitable for him to sleep, but it was comfortable enough for him to relax in for the time being, and at the very least suspend himself in between sleep while the creature weakly sniffed around and eventually plopped at his side.

Morning was signaled by a sharp gasp from Zelda's mouth as she shot upright, jostling the fellow blonde at her side. For her, this awakening was usual, so she did as she always did and set a hand to Zelda's shoulder to try and wake herself for the inevitable comfort that was to come, only to find herself briefly confused by the feeling. Link wasn't overly muscular, but he was in comparison to Zelda's slim frame, and while he didn't have a problem being shirtless, he never really slept without bits of clothing, so to have a thin, bare arm in her grasp was startling at first.

Looking up at Zelda quickly reminded her of what had happened a few hours prior, and pulled her to sit up, glancing down to Link and the critter, then back to Zel while she brushed a hand through her hair.

"...Why am I in your bed?" The girl asked in a shaken whisper, pulling at the straps of her nightgown.

"Because you paid us a visit last night in your sleep," Tya answered tactlessly. "You don't remember it, I'm assuming."

A glance at Zelda answered the question for her, judging by the confusion and fear on her face, both of which made Tya soften immensely. An arm held out to wrap around her shoulder's, and though Zel hesitated, she leaned against her.

"...Did I say anything?" She questioned after a moment or two of silence.

"Yes," Tya answered, though didn't further it before asking "what were you dreaming about?"

Again, there was a silence, though this one was more tense than the last. Zelda shifted from her grasp, swallowing hard to keep back the tears that had welled in her eyes. Her mouth opened once but all that escaped her was a choked sound before she closed it again. When it reopened, what came out was another apology, then "I don't remember…"

Tya's brow knitted with skepticism. "For someone that doesn't remember their dream, you sure are distraught over it."

Zel's gaze flicked to Tya, then to the bed sheets where one had dropped from the neckline of her dress. Slim fingers bore into the fabric, pressing anxiously at it while she tried to think. "I don't remember most of it," she tried, looking to Tya to see if that was acceptable enough of a lie, and though it was clear that it wasn't the truth, Tya sat, awaiting the explanation.

"...I think that there's somewhere else that we need to go."

Tya took in a breath, looking to Link once again. Now attentive and upright, the boy slumped forward and glanced back at her before leaning to set his head in his hand.

"And what exactly is awaiting us there?" Tya asked almost knowingly, as if a suggestion toward the answer was just on the tip of her tongue. The distress displayed by their companion and the unwillingness to tell the truth caused a pit in her stomach that, in forming, tried to push the contents to her throat. It left a bad taste in her mouth both literally and metaphorically, and as she felt she knew the names about to come from Zelda's mouth, she slipped from the edge of the bed to wrap an arm around Link.

With a tone that was much closer to genuine than the last, Zelda said "I don't know", and truly, Tya couldn't tell if that was worse than a direct answer or not. Her attention fell to Link as she softly nuzzled against his hair, one hand brushing through the other side.

Verbal reassurance was useless, because even if she could manage to tell him it would be fine, the doubt behind her own words would tell him she was lying, much like Zelda.

The girl was entitled to her secrets, but as this pertained to them as well, it was frustrating to a point that Tya's question came out harsh and without warning to even her: " So what exactly are you leaving out then?"

The bluntness of her words made Zelda purse already quivering lips. "I promise, it's not important to this. It's just… scary to me."

"Then all the more reason to tell us about it," Tya nearly spat.

She was quick to shake her head. "No. Really, it's not important anymore, and I think it's better to just forget. You don't need to know about it- you really don't."

Pulling out of Tya's arms, Link cleared his throat. "Let me walk you back ho-"

"No, it's okay." Zelda interrupted. "...It's not far. I don't need your help." She slid off the bed, smoothing out her gown and staring blankly at the ground. After having briefly stalled, she kicked back into action, pulling a hand up to wipe tears from her eyes before she started off, her arm falling over her chest so she could shuffle back home without another word.

As the door closed, the critter perked back up at the sound, ears alert and curious, but when no threat was sensed, it rested its head on its paws while remaining attentive.

Tya watched Zelda through her window, and when she was out of sight, her shoulders dropped and eyes fell back on Link.

"Are you alright?"

He inhaled just to hold it. When he replied, his tone was skeptical, but with hope Tya didn't expect. "Yeah."

She sat back, a hand running up his back.

"You said the-there's no way he'll be- he'll be back so soon," Link shrugged. While his voice made it clear he didn't completely believe that, or worried there was a way around it, it was something he was clinging to for some sort of grounding.

"He'd need to be reborn like Hylia," she confirmed. "And if it was him, Zelda would surely warn us."

He nodded hesitantly. "We sh-should-We should let her calm down, th-then see what we need to do."

Tya gave a quiet hum of agreement before standing straight and stretching her arms out, glancing around to see where she should begin to get ready for the day.

Link's anxiety was still clear despite the fact that he'd said he was fine. Much like herself, she knew he was just trying to be fine for the sake of whatever it was that needed to be done, and she wasn't going to fault him for that. The fact that they knew absolutely nothing of what was apparently a Situation was nerve wracking. In an attempt to ease some of the worry toward the unknown, they sat close together while forcing food down their own throats and deriving comfort from the presence of one another. He kept an arm set around her shoulders for her comfort, and from her, she nuzzled into his shoulder while handing off pieces of meat to their little critter friend.

It completely ravaged every bit she gave, searching around blindly for more, which she supplied to keep it from jumping into her own plate. While it was still defensive of the food, it was at least friendly enough that Tya could pet it when it was finished eating, which meant that scooping it up afterwards was fine, even if it kicked a little to not leave the scent. To keep themselves busy, they focused on it, making their way out to Owlan's hut on the outermost edge of the settlement. While plantlife was his area of expertise, he'd also gained an interest in the fauna of the land, as had Horwell, who'd stayed in Skyloft, and the two of them would often trade bits of information with one another, so they figured the best place for the creature was with one of the two of them.

Upon seeing it, this was confirmed, as Owlan was completely thrilled, looking it over carefully. Absent comments were made about it's poor state of health, but he waved the two off to hurriedly scoop it up and take it inside, leaving the two to loiter with uncertainty.

While they were both a little wary of speaking to their friend again, they ultimately elected to head back to her place to see what exactly their next move was, and hopefully ease some of their rampant worry.


	11. Chapter 10

The greeting they were given was entirely uncharacteristic of Zelda. She was generally bubbly, optimistic, so much so that she became bossy with such a thing, but as she pulled her front door open to see the two of them, all of it forced her shoulders to loosen immensely. Her eyes fell to Link almost immediately, brushing over Tya, and upon seeing him, she almost looked as if she was going to throw up.

While Link said nothing about it, it was clear enough that such a repulsed reaction from his best friend hurt. He forced down those feelings to ask a direct question: "Where are we needed?"

Zelda sniffled, straightening on her own to disregard the mixture of feelings stirring inside her and step aside so she could motion them inward. The map that Zelda had made for their first trip was sprawled across the table with drawing utensils scattered about. There had been numerous changes made to it, causing Tya to part from the distressed hero to step around the table for a better view.

"I've been.. Drawing out where we need to go." Zelda stated weakly as she watched Tya examine it. She took a moment to follow the path before pointing to the new destination displayed in the northernmost corner both of the paper and the forest itself.

Zel nodded her head, looking between the two of them, then back down. "It's uhm… It's underground. It was always underground. Hopefully none of it has fallen in, but we need to go there."

"Should we take-take mo-more people with us?" Link asked, to which she shook her head quickly.

"No. It's… It's more than what they're used to, but I think that you two can handle it- that we can handle it, I mean." She glanced once more to Link and this time, forced a smile. His own expression fell as he noted the it, but what it caused was some sort of desperate, hopeful pain.

"More than what they're used to?" Tya questioned as she glanced between the map and her companions. Link's distress was clear enough, as was Zelda's discomfort, but she wasn't entirely sure what she could say on the matter. She already knew what it was that was stressing him out, and as for Zelda, she could only guess whatever it was she'd seen that had led her to this new place was doing it. And that, while concerning, was apparently something she wasn't willing to share. That in and of itself was worrisome…

"Yes," she answered. "It's far more dangerous than the mundane things they'll find around here."

"So like…" Link started, biting at his bottom lip as he considered whether or not he even wanted the answer to the question he was going to ask. It only took a second for him to decide it was better to know now than to find out later or get up any sort of hope that it would be different. "Like before?"

Though she hesitated on it, Zelda looked at him and gave a small nod of her head to confirm it. She could see the way he blinked to hold back fear-filled tears, and only then did it sink in that he was worried about something beyond her and her odd behavior. Her muscles loosened and gently- much more like herself, she assured "I can tell you positively, Link, that it isn't Ghirahim."

Demise was still very much a worry, but the reassurance that it wasn't the more sadistic of the two did somewhat put him at ease. While a part of him was left to dread the reincarnation of Ghirahim's master, the sword himself was what Link feared. Perhaps that was selfish of him given the fact that Demise threatened all skyloftians, but Ghirahim was the one with a vendetta toward him in particular. Demise's intentions were terrible, but the manner in which he carried himself suggested diplomacy and honor, far more than Ghirahim, who was content with striking at any given time and doing so with as much violence as he could muster.

"This one is going to take longer than the last trip," Zelda spoke up again, pulling both Link and Tya's attention back to her. "It's kind of far. A little bit of a hike. I'd suggest packing everything you need to travel." Once the pair accepted this with a nod, Zelda tried another smile. While this one was closer to genuine, her trouble was still clear beneath. To distract from that, she said "I'm going to let Groose know. We can head out tomorrow morning."

With a plan to meet the next morning, Tya and Link were guided out of her home with subtle firmness. While Zelda had tried not to be obvious about it, both of them had picked up on the fact that she didn't want them around for one reason or another. It was upsetting for both, without a doubt, but as they walked back into their little shack of a home, Tya could see that it was weighing much more on Link than it was on herself.

She guessed the reasoning was easy; that it had to do with her dreams. It was more than likely something in her head, and because of that the two of them were overreacting and filling the gaps with things far more personal than it actually was. But even if that were the case, without confirmation and with the fact that Zelda was keeping something back, anxiety was hard to avoid. That, mixed with the fact that Zelda's stability had entirely disintegrated was jarring. She'd been the thing to keep Tya afloat for so much of their friendship that the possibility of the roles being swapped was never one that occurred to her.

Still, with Zelda very clearly avoiding them, her concern could, for the time being, lay on Link.

His fear of Ghirahim had somewhat quelled with Zelda's reassurance that it wasn't him causing the problem, so that was definitely a plus. And Tya's logical assumption that Demise couldn't just pop out at random brought a little more comfort, even if he wasn't entirely sure that he'd quite literally be reborn rather than remade or raised from the dead or various other possibilities. In an attempt to just save himself from a complete meltdown, Link disregard those possibilities which was made easier by the warmth that suddenly flopped against his shoulder.

Looking down, he was able to smile at Tya as she puffed out her cheeks and gazed up at him from against his shoulder.

"What're you do-doing?" he asked.

Not bothering to pull back, and thus being muffled, she said "haven't a clue."

With a laugh, he separated from her grasp and moved to sit on the bed. It was still light out, meaning that their room was still lit by the sun to a point he could take a look at everything they had. It was only a little, and all of it would probably be taken with save for a couple of books, if Tya could manage to part with any of them.

Half contemplating what they needed to take with, Link spoke aloud the other part on his mind: "You know, you keep-you keep asking i-if I'm okay, but I haven't asked you."

Tya tilted her head a bit. Her weight shifted to one side as she considered the question, moving a hand up to tangle in the tips of her hair as she did. "I'm… Fine." She knew her unsureness would be caught in a second, and therefore didn't give Link the chance to question it before continuing. "I'm concerned," she corrected. "About numerous things, but I'm not afraid. Or overly distraught, really. Oddly enough, I think I'm.. excited."

"Excited?"

She nodded her head. "What she sees is pieces of the past. When we were looking for her, I didn't really have the time to stop and examine everywhere we went. We entered ruins and temples built by the people that were here long before we went to Skyloft, or even by someone else. Is that not interesting to you?"

He hadn't really thought much on it. Not before, due to the danger, the limitations, and the pressure, and not now until she brought it up.

"It seems like there's so many things to be found within that could tell me so many things about who they were. So while it sounds like a dangerous task, I think this time around, should we need to be traveling as extensively as we were last time, I'll be able to enjoy it a bit more as I'll get to keep all of that in mind." This explanation was accompanied by a surprisingly bright smile that turned just a touch devious as she took a step closer to him. Both hands extended outward and cupped his cheeks, pressing them inward to pucker his lips. "Not to mention the fact that I will once more be by your side. To learn and to look at you, what more could I possibly want?"

A rhetorical question, and yet, through his fish face, Link still answered "a plate o' cookies?'

She released with a groan, her head falling back. "Why is there no means of baking down here? How could we even begin to build a village like this where I haven't any way to make myself a cake!?"

He laughed in response to what was apparently a hot button of hers to press. "Maybe w-we can get som-something when we get back."

Straightening and putting on a pout, she sighed "I will pray to Hylia that we return quickly then."


End file.
